Kuwagata Virus
by Kiumu-Ro-Ku-Bee
Summary: A virus is spreading through the kuwagata that makes them attack when they get angered or annoyed, even in the slightist. How will the friends help? How will they cope? (Slight MetabeeBrass, RoksBlakbeetle, and IkkiErika) COMPLETE! Cliff. for sequel!
1. Prologue: The Beginning of the End

Disclaimer: Me no own these 'bots, this is the only time I say this, you no sue watashi (me)!!

Prologue: The Beginning of the End

"Action Mode, Metabee! Get behind him!" Ikki called into his Medawatch on his left arm, both hands clenched into fists.

"Gotcha'!" Metabee replied, jumping and transforming. He landed and sped around his Kilobot enemy, Ambiguous-Two.

"Ambiguous-Two! Behind you!" Suzie called, also into her Medawatch.

"Acknowledged," Ambiguous-Two responded stiffly, turning around, and locking onto the KBT in his Action Mode behind him.

"Metabee, Normal Mode, and launch your rockets!" Ikki called. Metabee screeched to a halt, jumped, and transformed back to Normal Mode. He landed, leaned over, and bowed his head, aiming his Ballister Cannons at Ambiguous-Two.

"Launching…Rockets!" Metabee shouted, and fired off two rockets from the double blaster, Ballister Cannons, mounted on his head. The rockets hit the enemy right on the mark¾ its torso.

"Ambiguous-Two: Head part: ninety-five percent damaged. Shutdown imminent," Suzie's Kilowatch informed.

"Metabee, hit that same spot with your Laser Fuser!" Ikki commanded.

"Don't give him a chance, Ambiguous-Two! Blast 'em!" Suzie shouted excitedly.

"Action Mode, again, Metabee! Get behind him again!" Ikki called. Metabee nimbly followed Ikki's orders, transforming and speeding around behind the MWB opponent.

**Metabee (KBT-11220) Medabot**

Special Attack: Medaforce

Type: KBT-Hercules Beetle

Medal: Kabuto

Medafighter: Ikki Tenryou

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ambiguous-Two (MWB-13232) Kilobot

Special Attack: Rapid Fire Attack

Type: MWB-Jewel Beetle

Medal: Ex Medal

Medafighter: Suzie

Ambiguous-Two grabbed the handle of his left shoulder cannon and pulled it off his shoulder, pointing it ahead of him. He noticed his target was missing, and whipped around, only to find himself face-to-face with Metabee's Laser Fuser.

"Nighty-night!" Metabee chirped, and he fired his Laser Fuser, which hit the Jewel Beetle on the middle of his chest. Ambiguous-Two's Medal ejected with a clank and landed, rolling over to Suzie's feet.

"Ambiguous-Two: Head part: One hundred percent damaged. Function ceased, function ceased," Suzie's Kilowatch said.

"Oh, great…" Suzie said, disappointed. "I'll get you next time! You'll see!" She bent down, grabbed the Ex Medal, stood straight, and ran off, the MWB body transporting in a blue flash soon thereafter.

"Yes!" Metabee cheered, throwing his right fist in the air. Ikki ran up to him and held up his left hand for a high five, and Metabee unclenched his fist and slapped Ikki's hand high in the air.

"Good job, Ikki! But don't let that victory go to your head!" a girl congratulated from behind the black-haired boy. Ikki spun around and spotted Erika, a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl wearing pink overalls, and her school-girl-looking Medabot, Sailor-Multi, or 'Brass'.

"Congratulations, Metabee!" Brass also congratulated.

****

"Heh, heh, thanks!" Metabee returned, his lit-up green eyes closed and his metallic hands on his hips.

"Thanks, Erika. But don't tell _me_ not to let it go to my head," Ikki began, "tell my hard-headed Medabot here."

"What's that supposed to mean?! You're the one who'd let it go to your head! In fact, it already has!" Metabee spat back, hands balled into fists and the top line of his eyes creased. Ikki growled in response.

"Guys, don't get in a fight now! You should be celebrating!" a young boy exclaimed, walking up to the Medafighting duo with his bulky, blue, Kuwagata (KWG) Medabot.

"Well, he started it!" Ikki blamed his Kabuto (KBT) Medabot, pointing at him.

"Don't blame anybody. Besides, if you ask me--" the KWG with the young boy began.

"We didn't though," Metabee said, slightly jokingly.

The KWG cleared his nonexistent throat and continued, "--you're both hard-headed."

"What did you say, Tyrelbeetle?!" the KBT exclaimed, resisting the temptation to change the KWG's name, Tyrelbeetle, into something insulting.

"You heard me!" Tyrelbeetle replied. Metabee growled.

"Some things never change…" the young boy stated.

"You said it, Zuru," Ikki agreed.

Then, a white, Kuwagata Medabot calmly walked up to Zuru, wearing a silk, beige cape. "Zuru, where's Roks?" he asked, looking up to the messy-black-haired young boy.

"I didn't think he'd want to come, so I didn't ask. It actually might be too dangerous for him to be here," Zuru answered, looking down at the Kuwagata.

"Hey, Rokusho! Long time, no see, buddy!" Metabee exclaimed, interrupting. He ran over and patted the white Kuwagata on his back cheerily.

"You know him?" Zuru asked, surprised.

"Yeah!" Metabee shouted happily, planting his arm firmly around the Kuwagata's boxy shoulders, gripping his left shoulder.

"He's an old chum," Ikki said.

"Rokusho! Nice to see you again!" Brass greeted, stepping in front of Rokusho and throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing tightly.

"Yeah, n-nice to see you guys, too. Br-Brass, you're choking me!" Rokusho uttered. Brass released him and backed away a few steps, clasping her hands together in front of her and bowing.

"Sorry. Just missed you," Brass apologized. She stood straight.

"That's Ok." Rokusho turned to Zuru. "Why would it be too dangerous?"

"Uh, I guess you should see for yourself. Come with me," Zuru replied. He turned and headed for the school gates, and Tyrelbeetle followed.

"Ok," Rokusho responded as he ran after them.

"So, how do you know them?" Zuru asked, kicking a pebble in the path, as he walked with Tyrelbeetle and Rokusho towards his house.

"We met last year. I saved a drowning puppy while they were watching, so they wanted the 'scoop', as Erika would say," Rokusho explained. "Pure curiosity, I bet. And Metabee was a little jealous of me."

"I bet," Zuru responded.

"But why did you leave, and when? Where did you go?" Tyrelbeetle pressured.

"Well, my Medafighter, Doctor Hushi, returned at the end of the World Robattle Tournament, and I went back up into orbit with him," Rokusho said.

"Orbit? As in space?" Zuru asked.

"Returned?" Tyrelbeetle also asked.

"Yes. And yes. I lived with him a long time ago, until our house burned down. The Rubber-Robo-Gang started the fire. I thought Hushi and our pet, mechanical parrot, Baton, died in that fire, until Karen found Baton under a fallen tree. I figured there was hope that Hushi was still alive, and I was right," Rokusho explained again.

"Wow," Tyrelbeetle commented in awe.

"My turn to ask a question: What's going on with Roks?" Rokusho replied.

"I think there's something wrong with him. He wasn't feeling good yesterday, and he did something…completely off the wall last night," Zuru began.

"Please explain," Rokusho pleaded.

"Well…" Zuru started explaining from the beginning as best he could.

----------------------------------------------------------*Flashback*-----------------------------------------------------------

Roks, the white Kuwagata Medabot, which looked a lot like Rokusho's double, groaned, squeezing his eyes shut, as he rolled over onto his back under messy covers, still in bed, at twelve noon. He slowly opened his eyes and peeked over at the clock on the bedside table to the right of the bed. It seemed further away than usual, and there were three clocks, to Roks.

"Tw-twelve A.M.?" Roks questioned to nobody. He looked closer, saw the small 'P.M.' symbol in the top left corner of the clock's screen, and was even more surprised. "P.M.?!" He sat up quickly, but froze before he got out of bed, holding his head and squinting, trying to fixate his optic targets on one spot on the covers, feeling dizzy. He heard a door creaking open, then closed, and the heavy, robotic steps of a Medabot.

"Roks, are you awake?" the medabot asked. Roks looked up, squinting to see one image of the medabot, and saw Tyrelbeetle.

"Y-yes. I'm awake," Roks answered after a short hesitation.

"Good. If I didn't know better, I would ask you if you're feeling alright," Tyrelbeetle admitted.

"Then _act _like you didn't know better," Roks said.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if you were to ask, I would answer 'no'."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know." Roks fell back onto the bed, eyes closed, and groaning. Tyrelbeetle walked around the bed to Roks's side and straightened his covers. Then he walked back around the bed and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Later that night, about an hour before dinner, Roks lay on the couch with a pillow for his head and a thick blanket. He was watching Tyrelbeetle and Zuru play checkers on the coffee table in front of the couch. Eventually, Tyrelbeetle won, playing the black pieces.

"Ahh," Zuru sighed, bowing his head with his eyes closed. He looked up at Roks after a moment and asked, "You wanna' play, Roks?"

"Uhh," Roks groaned, and then continued, "Oh, Ok." He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the couch. Zuru stood and sat down next to Roks, held the KWG's arm, helped him up, and sat back to watch the game. Roks sat on his knees on the end of the table where Zuru sat, and helped Tyrelbeetle reset the game board. As they began the game, Roks played the red pieces, and Tyrelbeetle played the black pieces again.

A few minutes later, Tyrelbeetle was far in the lead, and Roks didn't have much of a chance to catch up. It was Tyrelbeetle's move, and Roks only had two pieces left on the board, while Tyrelbeetle had at least ten pieces left. In his move, Tyrelbeetle took one of Roks's two pieces, and landed where four of his pieces cornered Roks's one last piece.

"So what do you say? Do you forfeit?" Tyrelbeetle taunted jokingly. Roks had been making lousy moves all game because of his dizziness and headache, and Tyrelbeetle's taunts didn't help. He growled, getting annoyed, which was a strange thing for him. He creased the top line of his eyes and closed them angrily.

"Uhh, Roks?" Tyrelbeetle prompted. Then he continued, "C'mon! You know you've lost!" That did it. That put Roks over the top. His eyes shot open, glowing red, brighter than usual. He gripped the side of the coffee table and yanked at it, and quickly lifted the side up. He managed to throw the table onto its side, and the checker game setup slipped off the smooth surface. The table fell over, landing upside down.

"Roks!" Tyrelbeetle and Zuru gasped simultaneously. Roks stood up, clenching his hands into fists and opening his Cutlass sword on his right arm, and stomped heavily over to Tyrelbeetle.

"Roks? Wha-what are you doing?" Tyrelbeetle asked, looking up at the angered Kuwagata, eyes wide with fear. Roks pulled his right arm and Cutlass back, stopping in front of Tyrelbeetle. His arm shook. Then Roks lost all control, and blacked out. He heard clanking, and the hydraulic sounds of two Medabots moving around frantically. A few moments later, the sounds stopped abruptly, but he could still feel himself struggling in someone's grip. Slowly, he stopped struggling, and his vision faded back online. He found himself sprawled out on the ground, leaning back on Zuru, who squeezed his eyes shut as he firmly held his arms around the Kuwagata's shoulders.

"Zu-Zuru?" Roks questioned. He looked straight ahead, and gasped when he saw Tyrelbeetle laying on his side, out like a light, severely damaged with scratches, scrapes, and dents all over the right side of his head, torso, and neck. Roks felt a droplet of water land on his forehead, and looked back up at Zuru. Tears were running down the messy-black-haired boy's face. "N-no. I-I didn't… did I?" Roks gasped. Zuru didn't answer, and more tears streaked down his face and dripped down onto Roks's forehead. "N-no. _No_. _NO_!" Roks shouted, jumping up, turning around, and slowly backing away from his crying Medafighter, tears of his own forming in his eyes. He took another step back, and tripped over Tyrelbeetle's legs. He landed on his back, but quickly sat up, regained his balance, shaking his head with his eyes closed, and stood. "_NO_!" He shouted one last time, turning and running upstairs to his, Zuru's, and Tyrelbeetle's room, tears streaking off his face.

Roks stormed into their room, slamming the door behind him as he entered, and ran around the bed. He jumped onto the bed face down, and slipped his arms under the pillow. He buried his head into the fluffy, white cushion, and cried. "What did I do? Why?" he asked himself, moaning sadly. The pillow quickly got soggy from his tears, but he just buried his head deeper into it, shaking his head as he wiped off the tears.

"Roks? What's going on?" Zuru asked quietly as he entered the room, followed by the ghost-type Medabot, Gorum-Two, with Tyrelbeetle's Medal in him.

Roks didn't answer. All that came from him in response was a whine and more tears.

"Fine then. Don't answer," Zuru said, slightly angrily. He climbed up onto the bed, sitting on his knees, and pulled the covers up around Roks. He patted the crying KWG on his back sympathetically.

"Yeah. I don't really want to hear from you, anyway!" Gorum-Two stated, quite angrily.

"Gorum-Two, don't say that! Something must be wrong. If he meant to do that to you on any level, he wouldn't be crying like this!" Zuru exclaimed, looking back at the ghost-type.

"Uh-huh," Gorum-two agreed sarcastically with a nod and crossing his arms across his chest.

Zuru slipped off the bed, turned, and grabbed Gorum-Two's arm, dragging him along as he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The next morning, Zuru quietly walked up to the bed and climbed up onto it on his knees. He laid his hands on Roks's shoulder and shook him lightly. "Roks, wake up. You've been crying all night…" Zuru said. "Don't you want to go to school with me? Ikki and Metabee have a robattle planned against Suzie and her kilobot, Ambiguous-Two, for this afternoon. Don't you wanna' cheer Ikki and Metabee on?" he continued. Roks moaned as he awoke, squeezing his eyes shut as more tears streaked down his face and onto the pillow.

"I-I do. But I don't want to go. It may not…" Roks left off, sobbing.

"It may not what?" Zuru prompted.

"It may not be safe, after what I did to Tyrelbeetle las--" He choked back tears at the memory, and his voice trailed off to a shrill, tearful whisper, "--las-last night."

"Roks… Ok. You don't have to come. You know the way if you change your mind. I'm leaving early so I can stop by Miss Nae's shop and have her fix Tyrelbeetle for me, so he's coming. You'll be alone here. Unless you change your mind and come, I'll see you later this afternoon, Ok?"

"Sure, Zuru. B-Bye."

"Bye, and try to stop crying. You weren't yourself last night, or any time yesterday, for that matter. I know you didn't mean to do it… did you?" When Roks didn't answer his question, except for a whine, he slipped off the bed and left the room with a weak wave. Roks watched him leave, then asked himself the same question in his mind, and tried to answer it for himself.

"No, I-I didn't. I couldn't have. But I might have, but--NO!…I-I don't know…"

---------------------------------------------------------*End Flashback*------------------------------------------------------

"What on earth is wrong with him?" Rokusho asked as he, Tyrelbeetle, and Zuru rounded a corner.

"That's just the thing. We don't know," Zuru replied.

"But I'd like an explanation," Tyrelbeetle began, "for why he did that to me."

"We're almost there. You ask him for yourself, Rokusho," Zuru said.

A few minutes later, Rokusho, Zuru, and Tyrelbeetle entered Roks's room. Rokusho immediately spotted Roks, laying face down on the bed under thick, white covers, his head buried in the fluffy, white pillow, crying.

"Roks?" Rokusho questioned worriedly, as he walked around the bed and laid a hand on his counterpart's back.

"Leave me alone, Rokusho!" Roks whined, wiping tears off onto the pillow. Zuru climbed up onto the bed, sitting on his knees, and he, too, laid a hand on Roks's back. Tyrelbeetle stayed to the side of the bed, behind Zuru, leaning on the mattress with his arms crossed.

"What's wrong?" Zuru asked sympathetically.

"Leave me alone! I don't want to talk about it!" Roks shouted. Zuru hushed him, patting his back.

"Please, tell us, Roks," Rokusho pleaded.

"NO!" Roks replied. He was starting to get angry. "Stop asking!"

"Roks, we're just--" Zuru began, but Roks cut him off, lifting his head and shouting, "LEAVE ME ALONE, I SAID!"

"But--" Rokusho stopped quickly, when he saw Roks's angered expression as he turned over, sitting up.

"Stop," Roks uttered, creasing the top line of his eyes, and then closing them. "Just stop."

"Roks, please! If you don't tell us, then we can't he--" Rokusho began, but he stopped quickly again, when Roks's eyes shot open, glowing red and brighter than usual. "R-Roks? N-now what?" Rokusho questioned. Roks was now very angry, clenching his fists and opening his Cutlass on the end of his right forearm.

"Uh, Roks?" Zuru also questioned. Roks opened his yellow hammer on the end of his left forearm.

Rokusho and Zuru looked at each other, and then back to Roks. "Uhh…" they both began, but Roks lifted both arms, crossing them in front of his face. They shook. Rokusho and Zuru gasped. Roks swung his arms forward.

"Roks!" Rokusho shouted. Roks's Cutlass swung toward him, and whacked him on the side of his neck. Rokusho fell over, sparking and bleeding oil heavily around his neck. He opened his back hatch and shut down without ejecting his medal.

Zuru yelped, squeezing his eyes shut and turning his head towards the right, as Roks's hammer swung towards him, aiming for the side of his neck. He gritted his teeth, groaning. The hammer swung at high-speed towards his neck, and then suddenly stopped less than an inch away. Roks blinked, and his glowing eyes quickly faded to normal, as he slammed his arm to a halt. Zuru cautiously opened his eyes, and when he saw his Kuwagata Medabot, tears forming in his eyes, the messy-black-haired boy gasped.

"No. N-not again…" Roks stuttered, tears streaking down his face. "I attacked you, Zuru…" he said, half to himself, half to Zuru. He closed his weapons and threw the blankets off his legs, swinging them over the edge of the mattress and sliding off the bed. He yelped and jumped when he almost stepped on Rokusho's corpse, and then skipped a step as he turned and ran for the door.

"Ah! Roks!" Tyrelbeetle called after the Kuwagata, grabbing his arm as he ran by. Roks wiggled out of Tyrelbeetle's grip and ran out the door, slamming it behind him, and tears running off his face.

A little later, Zuru took Rokusho to Miss Nae's two-story, wooden workshop to be fixed, leaving Tyrelbeetle at home.

"Oh, so he's an old model KWG, huh?" Miss Nae realized, referring to the shutdown Kuwagata lying on her worktable.

"Yeah," Zuru replied. He bowed his head and sighed sadly.

"What's wrong, Zuru?" Miss Nae asked, holding a silver wrench.

"N-nothing," Zuru answered, forcing a smile.

"Oh, Ok. I'll fix 'em." Miss Nae turned to her worktable and Rokusho. "Honey?"

"Yes?" Honey, Miss Nae's helper medabot responded, ready to help with the repairs.

Zuru bowed his head, losing his smile, and sighed, closing his eyes and thinking about his Kuwagata, Roks. He didn't notice his KWG Medabot peek around the corner of the workshop with sad eyes and tears rolling down his face.

"I'm--so sorry, master," Roks uttered under his breath, before closing his eyes sadly, turning around, and walking away, planning on running and staying far away from all his friends. He didn't want to hurt anyone else.

Meanwhile, in Kam's huge mansion, Kam sat in front of his triple-screen computer in a dark room, the only light in the room coming from the computer screens. He sat with his elbows on the table and his fingers laced together, resting his chin on his hands. He laughed wickedly, watching something on the middle screen.

"Yes, that's it, KiloRoks. Keep it up," he laughed wickedly again, "Everything is going according to plan." He smirked, watching the middle screen as a kilobot who looked exactly like Roks, except for the Extreme Tech symbol on his chest, swing his Cutlass forward, hitting a ninja-type medabot on the side of his neck. The blue, humanoid medabot fell over, sparking and bleeding oil heavily around his neck, and opened his back hatch, ejecting his medal and shutting down. "Soon, all that will be left after the Kuwagata Virus infects all KWGs, kilobot and medabot, will be the kilobots that can't and won't be defeated. It will be a perfect world, and I'm sure you'd agree, KiloRoks. It's not like you have a choice," Kam explained, though KiloRoks couldn't hear him through the screens. The black-haired boy laughed wickedly again.


	2. Attack One Rokusho

Chapter I: Attack One-- Rokusho

"Hey, Roks!" Rokusho called, walking through the green park. "Roks, where are you?"

"Rokusho? Who're ya' lookin' for?" Metabee asked, walking up to the KWG, Rokusho, his arms folded across his chest.

"Yeah, uh, Metabee, have you seen Roks?" Rokusho returned.

"No. I thought you went to see him at Zuru's place," Metabee stated.

"I did. But he went berserk and attacked me, then ran off, and I don't know where he went."

"He _attacked_ you?!"

"Nothing serious. Miss Nae repaired me. From what I hear, he almost attacked Zuru, too."

"Oh my gosh…"

"My sentiments exactly."

"Well. Can I help you look for him?"

"Please."

"Ok. Where do we start?"

"No clue."

Metabee sighed, bowing his head and letting his arms drop down by his sides. Then he suddenly stood straight. "Wait! I think I have an idea of why Roks attacked you, and almost attacked Zuru! I don't know how he got it, but… there's this kilobot who looks like Roks that has been causing a lot of damage around town! He attacks ruthlessly, and he doesn't even have a medafighter! And, from what I hear, he has a _Neo_ Ex Medal, but he still acts like a _normal_ kilobot!"

"Why? And where did you hear that?"

"Well, I heard it on the news last night. And nobody knows for sure, but people think it's a virus or something along those lines."

"What damage has he done?"

"Uhh, he injured a few animals, like a dog, a cat, and something else…"

"Oh, so he doesn't just attack other kilobots and medabots."

"Right. And he hospitalized a human boy and put his medabot in intensive care, and no one knew that 'till 'bout two days ago. They say the boy got amnesia from that attack, and didn't remember anything about it 'till he got a visit from his medabot at the hospital. That jogged his memory."

"That's terrible! He must be a strong kilobot to do that."

"Not necessarily strong, just merciless."

"Yeah."

"Are we gonna' look for Roks, or what?"

"Yes. We can start by the river. He knows that's where I used to spend most of my time, so it would make sense for him to go there. Unless he wants to make sure neither I, nor anyone else, finds him. But I think he _does_ want to talk about it, but maybe not openly," Rokusho shared. He and Metabee headed out of the park for the river side-by-side.

"Done searchin' my side of the river!" Metabee informed, jogging up to the Kuwagata.

"I'm done. Didn't find him. You?" Rokusho returned.

"Nope, no luck. Sorry," Metabee apologized.

"That's ok. It's getting late, so why don't you head home?" Rokusho asked.

"Ok, I'm sure Ikki's wondering where I am. I took off after that robattle. How long are you gonna' stay up searching?" Metabee asked back.

"As late as I have to. Whether I find him or not, meet me here after school tomorrow, ok? I'll explain when I see you about who, what, when, where, why, and how," Rokusho promised.

"Ok. Buh-bye! Goodnight!" Metabee ran away, looking over his shoulder and waving on his way up the riverbank. Once he touched flat ground, he stopped waving and looked ahead, running along the brown, dirt road.

"Bye! Goodnight to you, too!" Rokusho called after the KBT, also waving, and stopping once Metabee stopped. "Now, to find Roks," he uttered to himself.

"C'mon, Roks! Where are you?" Rokusho called, wandering the outskirts of town. "Roks, I've searched the entire town! You must be here somewhere! If you hear me, answer!"

"Ok, ok. Stop yelling, I'm up here," Roks called back, waving from a high tree branch. Rokusho looked up at a nearby tree, and waved back when he spotted Roks.

"Could you come down?" Rokusho asked, putting his hand down.

Roks let his actions speak, and jumped down from the branch, landing next to Rokusho.

"Thank you. Now, can I take you home?" Rokusho continued. Roks shook his head 'no'.

"I can't go home. I might end up hurting someone again. In fact, I shouldn't be talking to you right now for that reason," Roks answered. He turned and headed away, but Rokusho grabbed his shoulder.

"If you won't go home, stick with me for the night, and, if you haven't changed your mind tomorrow, you can come with me to meet Metabee on the river bank in the afternoon," Rokusho said, a smile forming in his eyes. Roks looked back at him, turned around, and grabbed Rokusho's hands.

"Thank you," Roks said.

"No thanks necessary. We'll sleep here for the night. I figure you don't want to be around anybody, because you might attack, so we won't go back to Hushi's space station," Rokusho returned.

"But what if I attack you?" Roks asked.

"I can defend myself," Rokusho answered quickly.

"Ok. So we're meeting Metabee tomorrow. Sounds good to me."

The next day, Roks awoke late, leaning back against the thick, brown tree trunk, his counterpart laying on his side, facing away from him, sound asleep with his head on Roks's lap, and wrapped in his silk, beige cape for a blanket. Rokusho awoke later, at about twelve P.M., groaning.

"Roks, what time is it?" Rokusho asked wearily, squinting at the sudden brightness of the sun in his eyes.

"Uhh, twelve-ish in the afternoon," Roks replied.

"It's that late al-already?" Rokusho returned, astonished, as he sat up quickly, turning to face his double. He reached up and rubbed his lit-up red eyes.

"About," Roks said.

Rokusho sighed, and said, "Who knew sleeping late could get me feeling--not one hundred percent."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm not feeling well." Rokusho stood up, followed by Roks, and fell over on top of his double when he lost his balance. Roks caught him and helped him stand straight. Rokusho massaged the sides of his head with his index fingers, hoping it would make an all-metal robot feel better.

"I take it you're dizzy?" Roks questioned after a moment.

"Yeah, and a few other things. Let's go on to the riverbank. Maybe I'll feel better if I splash some water on my face," Rokusho said hopefully. Roks nodded, and wrapped his left arm around Rokusho's waist. Rokusho put his right arm around Roks's shoulders, and they headed for the riverbank.

Rokusho dipped his metallic hands in the river water, cupping them as he pulled them out and splashed the collected water on his face quickly, before the water ran out of his hands. It definitely woke him up more, but it didn't make him feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse because of the cold water. "This isn't working," the Kuwagata muttered, leaning back and rolling into a ball.

"Metabee will be coming soon, it's almost time," Roks assured, dropping to his knee beside his counterpart and laying a hand on Rokusho's back.

"Good," Rokusho replied.

"Yeah, I'd say. Whenever I'm here, it makes everything better, doesn't it?" a medabot joked. Roks and Rokusho turned and saw Metabee walking calmly down the riverbank, his arms crossed across his chest. "I see you found him, eh, Rokusho?" Metabee continued.

"Yes, in a tree just outside town. He's afraid he'll hurt someone again, so he didn't want to go home," Rokusho replied.

"Oh." Metabee noticed the water dripping down Rokusho's face, and asked, "Uh, why are you wet, Rokusho?"

"I'm not feeling well, so I tried splashing river water on my face. All that was good for was giving me the shivers," Rokusho answered.

"Ok, so you're not feeling well. Great," Metabee responded sarcastically. "How 'bout a sleepover 'till you two are feeling better?" the KBT offered.

"You mean, Rokusho and I stay with you and Ikki?" Roks asked.

"Yep. What do you say?" Metabee pressured.

"Sounds good to me," Roks responded.

"Yeah, I guess so. Why not? I'll only be here for a few weeks, so I might as well have some fun while I'm here. Staying with you and Ikki is as fun as it gets," Rokusho agreed.

"Thanks," said Metabee.

"And It'll be an adventure, staying in the nut house for a night or two," Roks chimed in.

"Not thanks, Roks," Metabee returned angrily. Roks giggled, and Rokusho joined in after a moment or two.

_As long as I don't go ballistic again, this time on Metabee or Ikki, this could be fun, and an adventure,_ Roks thought, forcing his giggles.

Later that night, about an hour before dinner, Rokusho was starting to feel better, and Ikki was just getting home. Ikki waved goodbye to Erika and headed for the door to his house as the brown-haired girl left for her house. Ikki opened the door and stepped in to find his mother, Mrs. Tenryou, leaning over the left-hand arm of the couch, adjusting two blankets that covered Rokusho, who was lying on his side, crossing his arms and pulling his knees to his chest, rolling into a ball on the purple couch. Roks sat next to Rokusho, at his feet, his hands folded in his lap. Metabee sat on his knees in front of the couch, helping Mrs. Tenryou adjust Rokusho's blankets.

Ikki slipped off his shoes and dropped his backpack next to them, and then stepped up onto the carpeted floor. He headed over to the group as his mother greeted him, "Hi, honey!" and walked away to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

"Hey, Ik," Metabee greeted. The two Kuwagata waved weakly.

"Uh, what's going on here?" the black-top-knotted-hair boy asked, sitting down on his knees in front of the couch, opposite his Kabuto medabot.

"They're staying the night!" Metabee blurted happily.

"Cool!" Ikki replied. "Why?"

"Rokusho's not feeling well, and Roks doesn't want to go home 'cause he's afraid he'll hurt someone again," Metabee explained.

"Oh, ok," Ikki said, dumbfounded. "What's wrong with Rokusho?"

"No clue," Metabee answered. Ikki sighed.

"Is there anything you can do for Rokusho?" Roks asked hopefully.

"I don't know, for Rokusho _or_ you," Ikki returned.

"Maybe I could ask Doctor Hushi. He should be able to help," Rokusho pointed out, eyes closed, and half-asleep.

"He should?" Roks questioned, "Whoever started my virus must be smart, and I figure that's what might be wrong with you. Do you think he would be up for it? I mean, he did leave for several years after your house burned down, as you said."

"He went to stay with the Medallorians, as he calls them, and he had the chance to come back, but he saw the chance to study them and stayed to do research. He already apologized for leaving me alone for all those years. He didn't just take off on purpose!" Rokusho explained angrily.

"Do you think he could do it?" Roks went on.

"Of course he could! Whoever started this virus probably _is_ smart, but 'whoever' can't outwit Doctor Hushi! He developed medabots! If it wasn't for him, neither you, nor I, nor any other medabot would be here today!" Rokusho exclaimed, his anger rising, "You should respect him! _I _respect him, and every other medabot should, too!"

"But, like we both said, whoever started this virus must be _smart_. 'Whoever' would probably be careful about it so someone like Doctor Hushi wouldn't be able to fix the virus!"

"Doctor Hushi is smart enough to fix anything! And I've seen him do it first-hand! Stop insulting him!" Rokusho shot back.

"B-but, Rokusho, I don't mean to be--" Rokusho, who lashed out at him with his Chanbara Sword, cut off Roks by hitting his counterpart on the side of his neck, his red eyes glowing brightly.

Ikki and Metabee jumped, yelping and scooting back. Rokusho sat up on his knees, pulled his left arm back, and extended the three yellow screws lining the end of his forearm. He punched forward with his Hammer Fist, which connected with Roks's chest, leaving a dent when the out-of-control Kuwagata pulled his Hammer Fist away, pulled his right arm back, and punched, the top-most point of his Chanbara Sword digging into Roks's metal chest. Roks screamed out in pain and horror as his so-called friend repeated the punches quickly.

"I-I'm sorry, Rokusho!" Roks managed to get out.

Just then, Mrs. Tenryou came running in, and gasped. She covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide in fear and surprise. Her legs froze to the spot, and the rest of her paralyzed in fear.

Rokusho stood up, pulling Roks up with him by his neck. He lifted his double high in the air, tightening his double-handed grip on his neck.

"P-put me down, Ro-Rokusho! I'm sorry!" Roks apologized and pleaded. Rokusho didn't respond, but let go of Roks's neck with his right hand and pulled back his Chanbara Sword. His arm shook.

Ikki lifted his medawatch to his mouth, closed his eyes, and shouted, "Metabee! Laser Fuser!"

Metabee reluctantly stood, ran around Rokusho, and straightened his right arm out in front of him. He aimed for Rokusho's chest. "I'm sorry to do this to you, Rokusho," Metabee apologized, and fired his Laser Fuser at pointblank range. The shot hit Rokusho right on the mark, and the Kuwagata's back hatch opened. Rokusho shut down as the shot sent him flying backwards. Roks fell, landed on his blocky feet, froze for a split second, and fell back onto the couch, breathing heavily, eyes closed, and holding his neck.

Ikki jumped and rolled out of the way, as Rokusho crash-landed where he was just sitting. He stared in awe at the damage Metabee's single Laser Fuser shot inflicted, then turned to Metabee. "G-Good job, Metabee!"

Metabee bowed his head and sighed, eyes closed. After a pause, he walked over to Rokusho. He kneeled down by the Kuwagata's body and slipped his left arm around Rokusho's upper back, closing his back hatch, and his right arm around the back of his knees. He lifted the KWG up and carried him over to the couch as his eyes lit-up. They were closed, and Rokusho was resting. Metabee turned and sat on the couch, cradling Rokusho in his arms. Roks sighed as he stared at Rokusho sympathetically.

"Can I hold him?" Roks asked quietly. Metabee stared at him, surprised, then nodded, "Sure." and handed the sleeping KWG over to his counterpart, who cradled him as Metabee had.

"D-dinner, Ikki," Mrs. Tenryou finally said, breaking her gaze from the medabots and looking over at Ikki, who nodded and stood. He walked over to his mother, and then followed her into the dining room, glancing back at the medabots one last time, flabbergasted.


	3. Attack Two Rokusho

Chapter II: Attack Two-- Rokusho

"Feeling better?" Miss Nae asked, standing straight after reactivating Roks.

"Yes. Thank you, Miss Nae," Roks thanked, moving around. He straightened his left arm out in front of him, and then bent it up at the elbow. Then he straightened both arms down by his side and stretched his legs.

"Good!" Miss Nae responded. She turned and picked up a screwdriver, then headed over to her worktable, on top of which Rokusho was lying, out like a light.

Roks turned to Metabee, who was standing behind him, just inside the opening to the workshop. "I'm going to wait at school for Zuru. I bet he's worried," Roks said, and then he walked past Metabee and towards Riverview Junior High once the Kabuto nodded.

"Wow!" Metabee heard Miss Nae exclaim. The KBT walked up to the black-haired mechanic.

"What?" Metabee asked.

"Did you make this shot?" Miss Nae asked, looking back at Metabee, and referring to the dent in Rokusho's chest.

"Yeah, at close-range," Metabee answered.

"You robattled him? No offense, but he doesn't seem like the type that would want to robattle," Miss Nae said, sounding shocked.

"He's not. And I didn't robattle him. He went berserk and attacked Roks, so I had to stop him before he destroyed him," Metabee explained.

"He went berserk and attacked Roks?!" Miss Nae repeated.

"Yeah. Have you heard of that kilobot causing so much damage around town?"

"Yes, I have. On the news about two nights ago."

"Well, whatever's causing that kilobot to attack is the same thing causing Roks and Rokusho to attack. A virus or something."

"Roks?!"

"Yeah, he attacked Tyrelbeetle, and Rokusho and Zuru. Well, almost Zuru. He stopped himself before he actually hit him. And you did the repairs on Tyrelbeetle and Rokusho."

"Oh my. If it's a kilobot with the first supposed 'virus', then wouldn't it seem that this is Kam's doing?"

"Maybe, but why would he infect one of his own? I know he doesn't care about his kilobots, but he still wouldn't deliberately infect one. It would make more sense if someone else started it."

"Who?"

"I don't know. But I plan on finding out, 'cause if I'm not mistaken, viruses destroy whatever it infects slowly, from the inside out. And I wasn't planning on my friends dying any time soon, especially not like that." Metabee turned and walked off to a chair on the other side of the workshop. He sat down and crossed his arms, bowing his head and closing his eyes. Miss Nae stared after him worriedly, then turned back to her repairs on Rokusho.

"Done!" Miss Nae exclaimed, taking a step back away from the freshly repaired Kuwagata. Metabee jumped out of his chair and ran over.

Miss Nae installed Rokusho's Kuwagata medal in his back hatch, and his red eyes lit up. "You ok?" Miss Nae asked.

"Y-yes. Thank you," Rokusho replied, looking up at the black-haired mechanic.

Metabee ran up to him, a worried expression on his mouth-less face. "You ok?" he, too, asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Are you actually worried?" Rokusho returned, looking confused as he glared at the Kabuto.

"Uhh," Metabee began. He put his hands on his hips, closed his eyes, and looked away, saying, "No, of course not."

"Are you sure?" Rokusho pressured.

"Yep. Me, worried? As if!" Metabee exclaimed.

Rokusho creased the top line of his eyes, getting annoyed that Metabee wouldn't admit to being worried. "Admit it, Metabee!"

"No! I am not worried!" Metabee shot back.

The Kuwagata swung his legs off the edge of the table and slid off, landed, and walked up to Metabee. "Then why did you ask if I was ok?!" Rokusho shouted in Metabee's face.

"I was--being polite!" Metabee lied.

Rokusho clenched his fists, and his eyes brightened. "Admit it!" he roared, pulling his Hammer Fist back, extending the yellow screws, and swinging it forward. The punch slammed into Metabee's chest, knocking the Kabuto backwards. Metabee landed on his back with a painful clank, winced, and then slowly sat up, shaking with one eye closed and struggling to keep the other open.

"Ro-Rokusho," he gasped. Rokusho held up his right fist, and his yellow, double sword, Chanbara Sword, spread apart so it would fit around Metabee's forearm. "No!" Metabee yelled, throwing his left arm out in front of him, fist clenched tightly. He fired a round of his Blaster Cannons, every shot hitting the target, though Rokusho didn't even flinch. Metabee got to his feet as the Rokusho walked against the powerful shots, and, once he was close enough, he lifted his sword and swung it for Metabee's left forearm. The two swords easily fit around the Kabuto's boxy forearm, and Rokusho tightened the swords. With a clank and a crack, Metabee screamed as the yellow swords dented and punctured through his forearm, spewing oil everywhere. Metabee forced his now useless arm down by his side, but Rokusho didn't let go. Oil-covered ammunition, followed by oil, poured out of the double, dark-purple barrels on the end of Metabee's left forearm. Rokusho finally let go, revealing punctured metal on Metabee's arm, and the oil covered ends of Rokusho's sword.

"Ro-Rokusho!" Metabee exclaimed.

"Rokusho!" Miss Nae also exclaimed, running up to Rokusho and grabbing his shoulder.

"Stay out of this, Miss Nae!" Rokusho demanded. When she didn't back away, Rokusho swung the side of his fist at her, hitting her on her stomach and throwing her back against the wall. She hit, and, once the dust cleared, held her stomach and the back of her head.

"You ok, Miss Nae?!" Metabee asked, eyes wide, and holding up his one good fist.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the black-haired mechanic answered, as her worried medabot, Honey, hovered over to her to assist.

"Good!" Metabee straightened his right arm out in front of him, fist clenched, and closed one eye, taking careful aim at the crazed Rokusho. Rokusho stood still, perfectly calm, as if nothing happened. "You attacked Miss. Nae, I attack you!" Metabee roared, and he fired. There was a loud clank as he fired, and the Kabuto squeezed his eyes shut. The shot echoed throughout the workshop as it flew through the air. Metabee heard the shot hit something that sounded like splintering wood, and opened his eyes, only to find his Laser Fuser barrel pointing at Miss. Nae, who was rolled into a ball against the wall, her hands over her head. There was a large hole above her head, and splintered wood spread out on the ground around her. Metabee sighed in relief, seeing that the shot missed her, but only by a few centimeters. Honey quickly seized the chance to help. There was another clank, and Metabee screamed out, as he felt pain in his right forearm. He turned his head, and saw Rokusho, letting his left arm fall down by his side after knocking Metabee's arm off track, with his Chanbara sword squeezing his forearm as he did to Metabee's left forearm. Again, the swords punctured Metabee's armored forearm, as the Kabuto winced. He forced his arm down by his side again, and, naturally, Rokusho didn't let go. Oil-covered ammunition, and then oil, poured from the double barrels on the end of Metabee's forearm. Oil oozed out from the joints in Metabee's right hand, and dripped to the ground. "Rokusho, let go!" Metabee shouted, groaning. Rokusho let go, pulled his left, Hammer Fist back, screws extended, and swung it forward in a hook, hitting Metabee on his chest; _hard_. Rokusho's punch threw Metabee back against the wooden, workshop wall behind the Kuwagata, and Rokusho turned and ran after him. Before Metabee fell to the ground, Rokusho caught him and kept him up with fast, strong, and fierce punches, pinning him up.

"Admit it!" Rokusho ordered loudly, throwing his left hand on Metabee's neck, pinning him up against the wall again.

"No!" Metabee replied. "I'm not worried!" Rokusho pulled his right-hand Chanbara Sword back, preparing to deliver the final blow. His arm shook. "Don't!" Metabee ordered. He paused, working up the courage. "I'll-I'll admit. I am worried about you, Rokusho. Very worried," Metabee admitted, staring at Rokusho with a smile in his eyes. Rokusho released him, his red eyes fading back to normal, and backed away slowly. Metabee fell to the ground with his knees up, and his useless arms hanging limply by his sides. "If this is a virus making you attack, then, well… viruses usually destroy whatever they infect from the inside out, as, in this case, you destroy everything around you from the outside _in_," Metabee explained. Tears formed in Rokusho's eyes, and streaked down his face, seeing the damage he inflicted on his friend.

"I-I attacked you," Rokusho gasped. He whimpered, turned, and ran out the opening and down the road running by the workshop, yelling, "No!"

"I feel sorry for you," Metabee began, staring down into nothingness as his optics dimmed, "Rokusho…" he finished. His optics shut off, and his body fully relaxed, his head falling face-first onto his knees.

Miss. Nae wearily stood, watching worriedly as the Kuwagata ran off, then turned and ran over to Metabee.

Rokusho sat on his knees by the river, his head in his hands and crying.

"I thought I'd find you here," a shiny, fully repaired Metabee said honestly, walking down the riverbank.

"Wha-?" Rokusho gasped, lifting his head out of his hands and looking up at Metabee, who stopped next to him with his hands on his hips. They were both silhouetted against the pink, orange, and peach light of the setting sun. "Metabee?" Rokusho questioned.

"Yeah, Miss. Nae repaired me. I'm fine. What about you?" Metabee returned, his green eyes smiling.

"I'm fine physically. But I _feel_ terrible about attacking you," Rokusho answered. He squeezed his eyes shut as tears ran down his face. "I-I'm so sorry, Metabee! But, I guess sorry won't cut it after what I did."

Metabee dropped to his knees, bracing himself up with his hands. "I forgive you," he assured, laying a hand on Rokusho's back as more tears ran down the Kuwagata's face.

"Thank you!" Rokusho yelped, throwing his arms around Metabee's neck and crying into his shoulder.

"I forgive _you_, but I don't forgive whatever's making you attack like that," Metabee clarified, lightly wrapping his arms around Rokusho's waist.

Rokusho calmed down, resting his head on Metabee's shoulder and closing his eyes. "N-neither do I," he admitted, as more tears streaked down his metal cheek.

Later that night, Rokusho and Metabee laid on the riverbank on their backs, holding hands and stargazing.

"I'm very sorry, Metabee," Rokusho broke the silence.

"You don't need to say that again. I forgive you," Metabee returned.

After another long pause, Rokusho broke the silence again, asking, "What made Roks change his mind, anyway?"

"He figured Zuru was worried about him, so he went back home so he wouldn't have to worry," Metabee explained.

"Oh!" Rokusho gasped, sitting up quickly, "That reminds me! I should tell Doctor Hushi where I am!"

"Yeah, you'll be staying with me and Ikki again tonight, right?" Metabee replied.

"Yeah," Rokusho agreed, turning to Metabee, "I don't want to end up hurting anyone on the space station, especially Doctor Hushi." He stood up, turned, and headed up the hill, but stopped mid-step and turned back to Metabee. "Uh, would you come with? Just in case I attack, you can call me off like you did last night. When it comes to that, I don't care if you have to hurt me to save someone else," Rokusho asked. Metabee nodded, getting up and turning to Rokusho.

"I'd be happy to!" Metabee exclaimed as he got to his feet. "Even though I do hate attacking you, period, I'll come, just in case!"

"So, you're staying with some friends? Metabee and Ikki?" Doctor Hushi asked to be sure, standing in the door to his space station, Metabee and Rokusho on the metal walkway in front of him. Rokusho nodded. "Ok, great! Sounds good, since we're only here for a few weeks," Hushi continued.

"Thank you. I just don't want to attack you by accident," Rokusho explained. Metabee jumped, turning to Rokusho, surprised that he came right out and said that.

"Attack me by accident? How would that happen?" Doctor Hushi returned with a question.

"Uhh, well, Roks and I have been attacking for no reason. Roks attacked Tyrelbeetle, me, and almost Zuru, and I attacked Roks, Metabee, and almost Miss. Nae. But like Roks to Zuru, I didn't actually hurt her, but almost," Rokusho explained nervously.

"Why?" Hushi replied.

"Some sort of a virus or something," Metabee chimed in.

"It reminds me of that kilobot that's wandering around town and attacking people," Hushi said.

"Yes, I know. We're thinking that it might have something to do with that," Rokusho admitted.

"It probably does. Would you mind if I ran some tests on you? Either tonight or tomorrow, whichever you prefer," Hushi asked.

"Ok. Tomorrow I guess. Metabee?" Rokusho turned to Metabee.

"Yeah, Ok. See ya' tomorrow, Doc!" Metabee exclaimed, waving happily.

"What he said," Rokusho agreed, also waving happily.

"Ok," Hushi also agreed, waving. Metabee and Rokusho turned and headed down the metal path extending from the door to the space station. Hushi turned and stepped back into the station, and, once the medabots were off the path at the end, hit the red button on the wall. The metal path sunk back into the station, the end folding up and acting as the door.

The next day, Rokusho and Metabee headed for Hushi's space station after walking with Ikki to school. Once they arrived, they found Hushi standing in the door's opening, the pathway extended for the two medabots. When they were on the space station, Hushi led them to a door in the floor that looked like a basement door, right in the middle of the silver metal hallway in the sleeping quarters, or sector four.

"This is sector five, as you know, Rokusho," Hushi explained, pointing to the door leading under the space station.

"And we're going down there?!" Metabee exclaimed, staring as Hushi typed something in on the keypad on the floor next to the door. The door slid open with a hydraulic hiss, revealing steep steps.

"Yep," Rokusho answered happily. This would be the first time he's seen the inside of the engine room and testing chambers in sector five.

"Great," Metabee lied.

Hushi led Rokusho and Metabee down the steep steps carefully. As they neared the bottom, they slowly emerged from the darkness of the steps.

"Wow!" Rokusho and Metabee exclaimed simultaneously as they saw the complex machinery, metal walkways lined with metal gates so no one could fall of the paths, red glow, and, most of all, hundreds of medabots working away on the machines.

"Hello, Doctor Hushi, sir!" each medabot greeted as Hushi passed, and each medabot waved to Rokusho and smiled at the new face of Metabee. The three walked down the paths, and eventually came to a silver, metal door labeled 'testing chambers'.

The testing chamber systems powered on, and the lights flickered. Rokusho stood in the middle of the cold, empty room, staring ahead through a window in the wall, on the other side of which was Metabee and Doctor Hushi.

"And we're ready to begin!" Hushi exclaimed, hitting the enter button on the keyboard on the console in front of him.

"Ok," Rokusho responded. Two machines shaped like large bricks lowered down from the ceiling on thick, metal rods. Once they were on either side of Rokusho, a cold mist escaped from the vents and sprayed onto Rokusho, who shivered. "Th-that's cold!" he shouted between shivers. He crossed his arms tightly, shivering even more. "Can I have a blanket, or at least get my ca-cape back?"

"Sorry, but that's not allowed in the chamber. You can have a blanket and your cape back as soon as you get out," Hushi explained.

"O-ok," Rokusho replied, slightly disappointed. The machines turned around so their backs faced Rokusho, and stopped their spray. The glass solar-plate-looking triangle on the machines' new front lit-up green. "What's going on?" Rokusho asked, looking back and forth between the two machines, his red eyes practically turning blue from the cold inside and outside his body.

"This is scanning your systems," Hushi said, "Downloading in progress."

"Downloading?!" Metabee and Rokusho exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yes. I'm downloading his memories, senses, vital ratings, everything!" Hushi replied, "Once it's all downloaded, I can run the tests without having Rokusho in the chamber. If I'm lucky, the virus will download, too, and be held in a file so it doesn't spread through the system. Then I'll be able to watch those attacks like a movie of his memories, and study the virus."

"Cool," Metabee commented.

"Good. I really don't want to stay in here for long," Rokusho added, "It's too cold."

"You sure it's a virus?" Metabee asked.

"Yes, according to these readouts," Hushi assured. The computer beeped, and a message popped up. Hushi clicked on 'finish', touching the touch-screen in the console. Hushi scanned down the list of files, and gasped when he didn't find the virus's file. He typed in the virus's code in a file-search engine and touched 'search'. A moment later, another message popped up, saying it didn't find the specified file. The message also gave some other valuable information. "When it tried to download the virus, it wouldn't go? Oh my!" Hushi gasped, "The virus was made specifically for the systems of KWG-type medabots, and, according to this, kilobots, too!"

"Kilobots? But don't viruses need the emotions of a medabot to work in a robot like that? I mean, the virus isn't in the medal, is it? 'Cause that rampaging kilobot does have a _Neo_ Ex Medal," Metabee questioned.

"I think it is in the medal. That'll make it harder, if not impossible, to find the antidote for it, if there is an antidote," Hushi replied, clicking through Rokusho's memory files.

Rokusho, inside the chamber, sighed. Again, the machines turned around and the cold mist sprayed out of the vents and onto Rokusho. "Again?" Rokusho gasped, shivering. Once the mist cleared, Rokusho stood, dripping with water, shivering, and his dark-purple horns pointing down. A few minutes later, he shakily made his way over to the door. As he neared, it opened with a hydraulic hiss and steam escaping from the inside edges. Eventually, Rokusho could make out the three-foot-tall, blocky form of the Kabuto medabot, Metabee, standing on the other side of the opening, holding a large, fuzzy, blue towel, and Rokusho's silk, beige cape hanging limply over his shoulder along with a blanket, which matched the towel almost perfectly, only bigger. Rokusho ran out to him, his arms folded tightly, and stopped in front of the Kabuto as he wrapped the towel around him, rubbing the water off. Once Rokusho was considerably drier from head to toe, Metabee pulled the wet towel off and quickly wrapped him in his cape, followed by the blanket, letting the towel fall to the ground in a wet heap.

"Rokusho, I think you're bluer than usual!" Metabee joked, though he was probably right. Rokusho nodded, took a step closer to Metabee, and leaned his head on his shoulder. Metabee wrapped his arms around the shivering medabot and rubbed his back in circles, pulling him closer.

"You could be cold for a couple days, Rokusho. But I think Metabee could keep you warm. He's doing a pretty good job of it now, don't you agree?" Hushi asked, walking up behind the two medabots.

"I'd say," Rokusho agreed, eyes closed.

"Metabee, keep that blanket. There's plenty more where that came from," Hushi informed. "Do you two want to watch the memories?"

"Uh, sure," Metabee and Rokusho agreed, looking up at Doctor Hushi.

A few minutes later, the three sat in a booth on the right-hand wall, Hushi holding a remote, and Metabee holding Rokusho, who leaned his head on Metabee's shoulder, sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. They watched Rokusho's first and second attack from Rokusho's point of view, and were surprised to see… nothing. During the attacks, the audio was there, but the visuals were blacked-out.

"Rokusho, what happened?" Metabee asked after Hushi stopped the memories.

"I blacked out. Something else was controlling me. _I _lost all control," Rokusho explained.

"Doc? What's your analysis?" Metabee continued.

"The virus controls him, and he loses control when he gets just slightly or more mad or annoyed," Hushi answered. Metabee stared at him, waiting for more, but Hushi shook his head, "Don't know more than that, sorry." Rokusho and Metabee sighed in response.

Later that night, Rokusho lay on his back with his head on Metabee's lap. They were sitting on the couch, and Metabee seemed to be asleep, but Rokusho was wide-awake, his red eyes illuminating the room. After a few hours of lying perfectly still, Metabee groaned, squeezing his green eyes shut, and then opening them.

"Rokusho, would you please get to sleep?" Metabee pleaded.

"Why? Am I keeping you awake somehow?" Rokusho returned.

"Yes, your eyes are shining right in mine. Besides, you need your sleep," Metabee answered.

"I can't sleep. I need to think," Rokusho stated.

"Think about what?"

"Why I feel so mad at you."

Metabee gasped, nearly jumping. "You're mad at me?"

"Yes, but I don't have any reason to be mad at you."

"That's good to know. If you don't have a reason, then how could you be mad at me?"

"That's just the thing. Metabee, I'll leave tomorrow. Anger is what sparks those attacks, and if I'm angry with you for no reason, you could be in trouble. I don't want to hurt you, or be mad at you." Rokusho shut his eyes as a tear rolled down his face. He knew he was putting Metabee in danger of himself by staying there in the first place. _So why did I do it?_ Rokusho asked himself.


	4. Attack Three Tyrelbeetle

Chapter III: Attack 3--Tyrelbeetle

The Roks-look-alike kilobot fell back against the old, broken-brick alley wall, covered in scratches and scrapes, though nothing severe. His normally bright red eyes faded to the normal glow of a medabot or kilobot's eyes, and the Extreme Tech symbol glowed red. His name, KiloRoks, was printed across the symbol in black and red lettering.

"Wha-what am I doing? Why was my world black--until now?" he questioned, staring at his metallic hands. "Where does all that noise come from-that pain-the-the… sorrow?" KiloRoks continued. "Sorrow? Sorrow. I have sorrow--or a need to do something that I don't want to do? Revenge? Where did that come from?" he was confusing himself. He tried to remember how his life began, the last time he had control. "Kam," he stated angrily, eventually. "Kam built me. I do what I do because of a painful--physically and mentally--virus that _he_ built into me. That's where 'revenge' came from, my sorrow, my pain, the ear-piercing screams and noise that could make anyone cry, and that virus is killing me, slowly and steadily, and painfully, it is killing me." He looked straight ahead as he heard the sounds of a robattle nearby; the all-too familiar sounds. He stood shakily, his eyes glowing red, brighter, and brighter… "I will get my revenge on you, Kam Kamazaki!"

"Tyrelbeetle? You feeling ok?" Roks asked, kneeling down next to the rock Tyrelbeetle sat on, staring out at the river and the sunrise.

"Not really. I think I'm coming down with that virus you have," Tyrelbeetle answered.

"I hate to say it, but I think you're right. From my experience with it, there's really nothing you can do about it," Roks said sadly.

"I started feeling bad earlier than you, though. I'm guessing that's why I'm up so early," Tyrelbeetle added. Roks nodded in agreement.

"Please, tell me your scoop, Miss Erika!" the sailor-type medabot, Sailor-Multi, or Brass, begged.

"Brass, as soon as I find them, you'll know! Stop asking!" Erika returned.

They walked down the dirt road towards the river, looking for Tyrelbeetle and Roks, who Erika saw heading for the river early in the morning and decided to take her chance for interviewing and getting pictures of them while she could.

"Where are they? Are you sure you saw them?" Brass pressured, looking up at her medafighter.

"I don't know for sure, and yes, I did see them," Erika answered, stifling the annoyance in her voice.

A few minutes in silence later, Brass spotted Tyrelbeetle and Roks sitting by the river, watching the sunrise, Tyrelbeetle on a rock, and Roks next to him on the ground.

"Ah! Miss Erika! There they are!" Brass exclaimed, holding her hand out towards where the Kuwagata sat. Erika looked where Brass gestured, and smiled.

"That's them! Come on, Brass!" Erika ran over to the Kuwagata, and Brass followed. Erika and Brass stopped halfway down the riverbank, and Erika held her camera up to her eye and looked through the viewfinder. She got the picture focused, and snapped the photo. Tyrelbeetle and Roks jumped and whipped around to find Erika, looking at the photo on the screen of her digital camera.

"What was that for?" Tyrelbeetle demanded, staring at Erika angrily.

"Perfect!" Erika exclaimed as she looked over the picture of Roks and Tyrelbeetle dramatically silhouetted against the beautiful, red, pink, peach, and blue sunrise. "Now, all I need is a few more pictures and an interview!"

"If you want that from us, the answer's no! I think it was rude to sneak up on us and snap that photo like that!" Tyrelbeetle shouted angrily. Erika held her camera up and, as she snapped photo after photo of Tyrelbeetle and Roks, shouting, "Photo op!" Brass watched, starting to get nervous about Tyrelbeetle's anger. Erika can easily annoy and anger anyone with her camera and surprise shots, and annoyance and anger fuels the attacks the virus executes.

"Uhh, Miss Erika? Maybe you should… stop," Brass suggested nervously.

"Brass, this is perfect! I may never get another chance for photos like this!" Erika yelled happily. "Just a few more, then an interview about the virus!"

"No way!" Tyrelbeetle returned. When Erika continued taking shots, now running around frantically to get different angles, Tyrelbeetle's eyes began glowing red and brighter than usual.

"Tyrelbeetle?" Roks questioned cautiously, staring into Tyrelbeetle's angered eyes. He then quickly turned to Erika, ran up to her, and grabbed her arm, pulling her camera down, and yelling, "Stop! He's losing it!" Erika forced her camera back up to her eye, and prepared for another shot.

"Just one more!" Erika assured, and she snapped the photo. In the split second the camera's viewfinder went black after she snapped the photo, Erika heard hydraulics, more hydraulics, followed by a clank, and Brass's screams. At that, Erika stuffed her camera in her pocket and backed away quickly, before she even knew what happened. "Brass!" she shouted in surprise, gawking as Brass, who had jumped in front of her to take Tyrelbeetle's attack instead of Erika, was punched by Tyrelbeetle on her torso and head, and then Tyrelbeetle tried to grapple her with his thick, blue horns. Erika's medawatch beeped, and Erika stared at it, as the woman's voice reported the damage, "Brass--Head arrangement: Eighty percent damaged. Warning."

"Brass!" Erika shouted again as her medawatch finished.

"Tyrelbeetle, stop!" Brass pleaded as she staggered backwards. She screamed as Tyrelbeetle got his horns around her and squeezed, causing the sailor medabot to spark from her head to her toes. Roks ran up to Tyrelbeetle and grabbed his arms from behind, pulling him off Brass, who fell backwards, wincing and groaning as she hit the ground.

"Tyrelbeetle, snap out of it! I know you hear me! I've been through this! _Snap out of it_!" Roks ordered, shouting. Tyrelbeetle struggled, and his eyes faded back to normal when Roks's words sunk in. He stopped struggling and looked around. When he noticed Brass in pain on the ground, he gasped, realizing it was his fault.

"I-it's begun," Tyrelbeetle uttered, before he escaped from Roks's grip and ran for home.

"What was that?!" Erika demanded, scared.

"I bet you know exactly what it was. You just saw that virus in action," Roks answered. He felt some anger coming on at Erika for not stopping when he told her to, turned, and followed Tyrelbeetle's path to home. Or was there another reason-- or no reason --he was angry?

Tyrelbeetle ran as fast as he could for home, and didn't notice Roks following him. He turned into his, Roks's, and Zuru's front yard, and stopped in his tracks as his blue head throbbed with pain and dizziness.

"Tyrelbeetle, tell me you're ok!" Roks shouted as he ran up behind the blue and gold Kuwagata medabot. Tyrelbeetle didn't answer, and just rubbed his temples with his index fingers. His red eyes faded, then shutoff, and Tyrelbeetle fell forward, landing face down. He ejected his medal, and Roks, who was just close enough, caught it before it fell to the ground, questioning, "Tyrelbeetle…?"

Later, Zuru walked home calmly, but as he approached his house, he saw Roks standing in the gate's opening, holding something in his cupped hands.

"Roks? How are you?" Zuru asked politely as he stopped in front of his three-foot-tall medabot.

"I'm fine. I would return it, but I'm afraid Tyrelbeetle wouldn't answer your question the same way," Roks returned.

"Oh? What do you mean?" Zuru replied, and then he noticed what Roks held in his cupped hands: Tyrelbeetle's ghost medal. "What happened?" he gasped, grabbing the medal.

"He's got the virus."

"So, what your saying is Tyrelbeetle started feeling the virus yesterday afternoon, and this morning Erika and Brass saw you heading for the river, and decided to follow you to get a scoop, and Tyrelbeetle went berserk when Erika wouldn't stop taking pictures?" Zuru repeated to Roks, while sitting next to each other on the couch later that night, Tyrelbeetle standing and listening in on the conversation next to the couch.

"Exactly," Roks confirmed.

"I'm still in the room, you know," Tyrelbeetle said. Zuru shooed him off as he continued his conversation. "Don't ignore me!" Tyrelbeetle was getting angry, though Zuru continued ignoring him.

"What I can't figure out is why it's only infecting Rokusho, Tyrelbeetle--" Tyrelbeetle cut Roks off, shouting, "Are you ignoring me?! If you are, then--then stop." Tyrelbeetle was having trouble calming himself down. The virus was taking over--slowly--and slightly painfully.

"Don't interrupt me!" Roks shouted, ignoring what Tyrelbeetle said.

"Well, you're ignoring me!" Tyrelbeetle returned as his eyes brightened.

Roks stood, his eyes brightening. He wasn't angry about their small bickering, but he felt angry for no reason all day, and it was rising. He finally lost it, "You interrupted!" They lunged at each other, hydraulics roaring. Zuru watched in horror as the friends battled to the death for a small bicker--one ignoring, the other interrupting. He couldn't do anything without getting hurt himself, and the Kuwagata probably couldn't stop themselves. That's when the unthinkable happened. Roks's eyes faded to normal just in time to terminate his attack and dodge Tyrelbeetle's grapple. He sped around behind Tyrelbeetle and grabbed his arms, holding him back with an angered expression.

"If I stopped myself, so can you!" Roks shouted to Tyrelbeetle.

"Release me!" Tyrelbeetle returned.

"We can't fight over something as unimportant as this! Someone's going to get seriously hurt!" Roks shouted. Tyrelbeetle's eyes faded to normal.

"I-I know. I just can't help it!" Tyrelbeetle broke free and ran for his room.

Zuru breathed heavily out of fear as he tried to calm down. He asked, "Roks, could you talk to me about it?" Roks nodded as he sat down to explain everything he knew to Zuru, ending with a few thoughts and predictions.

"Well, to start, during every attack, I can't actually see what I'm doing. Something else--probably the virus--takes over. _I_ blackout to a certain extent," Roks began.

"What does it feel like?" Zuru returned.

"Frustrating, sad, and painful."

"Painful?"

"Yes. The virus not only makes me attack, but I _feel_ sick, and I bet it's destroying me from the inside out. That's pretty painful."

"I'm sure."

"What would you say to getting together for a meeting on it tomorrow, with Rokusho, Ikki, Metabee, Hushi, and everyone involved?" He obviously wanted to end the conversation.

"I think there's a call for it."

"Good." Roks leaned over to Zuru and wrapped one arm around his shoulders, leaning his head on Zuru's shoulder with his eyes closed. Zuru lightly returned the hug, partly surprised and stunned, partly worried. 

"I'm going to bed. I've had unexplained rising anger all day, and I want to get to bed and get away from you and Tyrelbeetle before I do something drastic," Roks stated as he slowly pulled out of the hug.

"Fine," Zuru responded with an unsure nod. Roks stood and headed up to his, Tyrelbeetle's, and Zuru's shared room.

"Goodnight," Roks said as he climbed the stairs.

"Goodnight," Zuru replied.

Roks walked into the room, holding his head and rubbing his optics, tired, frustrated, scared, and sad. When he looked up, he saw Tyrelbeetle sitting on the ground on his knees by the bed, the trails from former tears shimmering on his face. He never actually made it in bed before he fell asleep. Roks giggled halfheartedly as he walked over to help him into bed. He slipped one arm around Tyrelbeetle's knees and the other around his shoulders, lifting him as best he could and laying him in bed. He covered him up with the white sheets, feeling sorry for him. After wiping the tear trails off his and Tyrelbeetle's faces, he gripped Tyrelbeetle's metal hand and walked around the bed.

During the night, the two shared the same dream-- or nightmare.

-----------------------------------------------------------*Nightmare*----------------------------------------------------------

The flaming and smoking wreckage of both medabots and kilobots covered the once beautiful, grassy meadow. The air was rusty, and Roks, Tyrelbeetle, and Rokusho, leading an army of Kuwagata medabots of all different shapes and sizes, stood triumphantly at the top of a heap of scrapped metal and parts, their army flowing down and off the hill, and back into the rusty, depressing wasteland of long-since defeated medabots and kilobots. As the air flowed and shifted thickly, a rusty shroud surrounded the army and its three leaders, silhouetting the former-heroes so their eyes shown bright red against their blackened forms. As Roks, Tyrelbeetle, and Rokusho turned around, they chipped reddened-with-rust metal off the rusty, formerly golden Kabuto, and an equally rusty sailor type; Metabee and Brass, both nearly destroyed to their medal's core, dented, cracked, scratched, scraped, and chipped all over. The entire army followed their leaders' lead and turned to each other as their eyes further brightened. A long, loud, roaring war-cry broke out from the Kuwagata army and rolled over them, and mass chaos, destruction, and war broke out-- friend hitting friend, enemy hitting enemy, foe hitting friend, friend hitting foe…and ultimately, family hitting family. Kuwagata medabots went down left and right, and, after hours--days--weeks it seemed of pure fighting, the last two of the army punched each other, taking their final hits, then fell into each other's arms as their eyes faded offline, tears streaking down their metal faces. Their Kuwagata medals ejected from their back hatches, the usually green core radiating red, angry energy. The energy surged, building up, lurched, and finally exploded out of their encasement, destroying the medals. Tyrelbeetle, Roks, and Rokusho were stuck in a merciless three-way fight--no longer a robattle, but ruthless fighting to the death, the last one standing to be the ultimate victor. Silver and white knife-like Cutlass flashing as it swept through the thick air--yellow, double sword, Chanbara Sword, roaring with hydraulics as it flashed through the air, cutting through someone's weakened armor--Grappling horns pushing their way through the two other attackers aggressively--screams of pain and horror from all three--their memories flashing through their sane sides' minds, forcing tears out of their red, glowing eyes--a strong, metal fisted punch to Roks's jaw throwing his head back past the limits of his neck joints--screams of pain and tears--an awful, gut-wrenching crack from Roks's neck as oil bled profusely from the neck joints--more tears--a bright, red light--fading--fading offline--battery overload--warning!--battery overload…multiple explosions erupted from Roks's chest, soon spreading through his body, throwing metal scraps everywhere, and blowing a thick gray smog into the reddened sky. The pieces of Roks fell to the ground as the last of the explosions and smoke cleared, and Roks's medal exploded with red energy as the two army members' medals had done. Tyrelbeetle and Rokusho paid no insane mind to the tragedy for their sane minds and continued battling. Hydraulics--clanking--yellow Chanbara Sword--metal-fisted punches--grappling horns…As they lunged for each other, they clasped hands, struggling with brute force and strength as their sane side tried to resist. The sane sides couldn't win with mental debates, and used their last resort--seemingly ancient memories of better times flashed through both the sane side and insane side's minds--tears streaked down the final Kuwagata's faces--they mentally said their goodbyes to the ones they loved--Professor Hushi, Zuru, Roks, Metabee, Ikki, each other…--and they forced themselves to spontaneously combust, just as Roks did, and fell to the ground in pieces as the air became evermore contaminated.

_Goodbye…_

-------------------------------------------------------*End Nightmare*--------------------------------------------------------

Roks and Tyrelbeetle sat up suddenly, screaming out, "No more!" and panting, eyes wide, positively terrified. They looked to each other nervously, realizing they both had the same dream, and smiled weakly with a giggle at the 'coincidence'. They quickly lost this expression, looking extremely worried as they looked down at the calmly sleeping black-haired boy on his side in between them, covers at his waist. Roks and Tyrelbeetle both adjusted the covers up around their medafighter's neck, and then looked back at each other for an explanation.


	5. Meeting and Attack Four Tyrelbeetle

Chapter IV: Meeting & Attack 4--Tyrelbeetle

In the park after school…

"So, what's this meeting about? Who called it? Why? When--" Metabee reached up and slapped a hand over Ikki's mouth to stop him from asking so many questions. Ikki struggled, but Metabee wouldn't put his hand down.

"Well, of course _I _called it!" Roks shouted back.

"Calm down, Roks. _We_ called it, anyway," Zuru returned. He turned back to Ikki and continued once Metabee finally put his hand down, "It's about the virus. _We_ called it. Because we need to do something about this virus. This morning. That answer your questions?"

"Enough," Ikki replied.

Roks held his head, squeezing his eyes shut, and only Metabee noticed. As Ikki asked, "So, what are we waiting for?" Metabee cautiously walked up to Roks.

"We're waiting for Rokusho to get back with Hushi. We need them here," Zuru answered. As if on cue, Rokusho, Erika, Brass, and Hushi walked up to the group, Erika with her camera, Brass holding Erika's pen and paper, and Rokusho wearing his silk, beige cape, and gripping Hushi's hand.

"What's wrong?" Metabee asked Roks quietly, partly fearing the outcome.

"I-I don't know, Metabee!" Roks replied, sounding angry with tears in his voice. Metabee took both of Roks's hands in his hands, pulling them away from Roks's face. Roks slowly lifted his head, his eyes glowing. "I-I'm sorry," he uttered, before he lost himself, pulling his hands out of Metabee's, opening his Cutlass on his right arm, pulling it back--his arm shook, rattling. Metabee took a step back instinctively, as Roks swung his Cutlass forward, sweeping it across Metabee's chest. It left a dent. Before Roks could attack again, he turned and forced himself to run away as fast as he could. By now, they had gained the attention of everyone in the park, but as much as Metabee liked being the center of attention, he just stared after Roks worriedly, clutching the new dent on his chest.

"Oh no…" everyone gasped, except for Metabee. As the damaged Kabuto turned around to face the group, the first thing he saw was Rokusho, his red eyes glowing.

"L-let's get on with the meeting," Zuru suggested, a twinge of worry in his voice, as he turned around and headed for a picnic table. The group followed stiffly. When Hushi took a step, still holding Rokusho's hand, Rokusho wouldn't budge, his eyes glowing brighter and brighter…

"Rokusho? Come on," Hushi questioned, lightly tugging Rokusho by his hand.

"Rokusho?" Metabee repeated. He slowly moved closer to the Kuwagata. Rokusho extended the three yellow screws around the front of his wide left forearm. Hushi pulled his hand away quickly, trying not to be hit by the screws, and took a few quick steps backwards, away from Rokusho. Rokusho cocked his Hammer Fist left forearm, and sped for Metabee. He brought his fist back and punched forward, hitting Metabee on his chest, right on top of the dent Roks left. He jumped over Metabee as he fell back, and then ran off, taking the path Roks took. Metabee sat up shakily, gripping his chest, and turned, looking after Rokusho as he ran quickly down the path. "Why did I get attacked twice doing about the same thing?!" he whined.

"This is getting weird," Ikki declared. He eventually walked up to Metabee and helped him up.

"Professor?" Zuru began, looking up at Hushi.

"Yes?" Hushi replied.

"Why has it only infected Roks, Rokusho, and Tyrelbeetle? And how did it start?" Zuru finished.

"Tyrelbeetle too, now? Well, that makes it certain. It only infects Kuwagata medabots. That rampaging kilobot started it. I've been calling it 'K.V.'," Hushi explained.

"'K.V.'?"

"Yes. Kuwagata Virus."

"How do we stop it?" Ikki chimed in, an arm around Metabee's shoulders to balance the Kabuto medabot, who gripped his chest.

"I'm not sure. We may have to run some tests and get an antidote, or destroy one of those infected and break the circuit, or something else," Hushi answered.

"Huh. The great Professor Hushi doesn't know something," Metabee stated sarcastically.

"Well, I didn't create this virus. It must be amazing technology to stay in Kuwagata medabots and never spread to anything else," Hushi replied.

"Does it infect kilobots, too? That rampaging kilobot seems to have it," Erika joined in, jotting down every question and answer as if it was an interview, Brass now holding her camera instead of the pen and paper.

"Yes, according to the readouts on it I got from Rokusho. In fact, that's what led me to believe that kilobot started it," Hushi answered.

"If he started it, then who infected him?" Erika continued. This seemed to stump Hushi. It could have been built into him deliberately, or he developed it over time, or he caught from another medabot or kilobot, but if he caught it, then he didn't start it, he was just another of the victims.

"How exactly are we supposed to get answers?" Metabee asked.

"Catch the kilobot and run some tests on him is the only idea I have as of now," Hushi returned.

"That seems impossible, since he's rampaging and all," Zuru said.

"We could run some tests on Roks and Tyrelbeetle," Hushi continued.

"Well, Roks just ran off for no reason, and Tyrelbeetle didn't come. He probably doesn't want to be tested, anyway," Zuru replied.

"Ok, then we'll search for Roks and Rokusho, and possibly that kilobot, starting tomorrow, just to see how Tyrelbeetle's virus progresses," Hushi declared.

"But if we find them, won't they go ballistic and attack again? Look at what they did to me with just two attacks!" Metabee pointed out. Everyone looked down at the multiple dents on Metabee's chest.

"Simple. We'll have some of us hang back for backup," Erika stated as if it was obvious.

"But who will hang back, and who will go?" Metabee returned.

"Uh, you, Ikki, Zuru, and Tyrelbeetle can go, and Professor Hushi, Brass, and I can hang back," Erika explained. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Let's meet at Professor Hushi's station tomorrow morning. We don't have school tomorrow. It's perfect!" Ikki exclaimed. Again, everyone nodded in agreement, and went their separate ways.

At Kam's mansion…

"Eddie, we'll walk. We need to be quiet to spy," Kam explained impatiently. Metabee's dark reflection, Blakbeetle, looked up at her master.

"Who are we spying on?" she asked.

"KiloRoks. Watching him on a screen is one thing, but watching it for real is another," Kam explained, again impatiently. "Come, Blakbeetle," he ordered as he turned and headed for the door. Blakbeetle followed.

Once outside, they walked through the short garden, unaware of a certain infected kilobot following them, hiding in the garden rosebushes, and debating with…himself. Blakbeetle didn't dare speak, and Kam had nothing to say. It was quiet, so the kilobot, KiloRoks, had to be careful not to make to much noise if he wanted to go unnoticed.

_What do I do? Should I attack him while I have the chance and get my revenge?--No! I can't attack him! I'll kill him! He's human!--Then attack Blakbeetle.--What did she do?--Nothing. But use her to get to Kam.--I wouldn't be getting to him that way! He already doesn't care for her! If it wasn't for his driver guy, Eddie, she'd be scrap metal by now!--Then attack Kam, but not too harshly.--B-but…--No buts! -- I can't! I'll kill him!--So?--What?! You want to kill him?!--No, you do. I am you.--But…I don't want to kill him._ The internal debate continued, as he unconsciously followed Kam and Blakbeetle, now jumping from treetop to treetop nimbly.

Blakbeetle hung her head. She knew that, by now, Rokusho, Tyrelbeetle, and, worst of all, Roks, were infected with K.V.

"Blakbeetle, how many Kuwagata do you think are infected by now?" Kam asked proudly. Blakbeetle kept her head down and didn't respond, if she even heard the question. "Blakbeetle!" Kam exclaimed, snapping Blakbeetle out of her daze.

"Oh, uhh…most of them, I'm sure. At least Rokusho and Tyrelbeetle," Blakbeetle answered.

"What about Roks? I know for a fact that he was the first to be infected. I made sure of it," Kam prompted.

"Yeah, and him, too," Blakbeetle agreed sadly, bowing her head again. She dimmed her optics. _Sorry, Roks._ She thought.

They continued down the road, toward the forest on the outskirts of town, where they received their last transmission from KiloRoks, signaling he was there. But unknown to Kam and Blakbeetle, KiloRoks was following them in the treetops.

At Zuru's house…

"I'm a little nervous about going tomorrow morning," Zuru admitted to Tyrelbeetle, bustling around the house for everything he might need the next day, currently standing in the kitchen preparing a few meals, hoping Ikki would bring some food, as well. They didn't know how long they might be out on the search for Roks and Rokusho, so they needed to be prepared. Tyrelbeetle sat spinning around on a bar stool at the tall, wooden kitchen table impatiently, arms crossed across his chest.

"Do I have to go?" Tyrelbeetle whined.

"Of course. We're looking for Roks. Don't you want to find him, and help overall with this virus? You _do_ have it, too," Zuru returned, stuffing an unidentifiable plastic-wrapped sandwich into a large paper bag.

"But it's dangerous! I don't want to get hurt, or hurt anyone else!" Tyrelbeetle shouted back, gripping the edge of the table to stop himself from spinning.

"I'm going. I know it's dangerous. So do Ikki and Metabee, but they're going," Zuru replied, stuffing a few handfuls of chips into a small, plastic bag, and then stuffing the bagged chips into the large paper bag.

"But I don't want to go! Can't I hang back?!" Tyrelbeetle continued, his anger rising.

"No. We need you with us," Zuru shot this down, too. Tyrelbeetle jumped down and ran around the table to face Zuru, staying a few meters away from him.

"Just let me stay! I said I didn't want to go! It's dangerous, and I could hang back! I could just be backup!" Tyrelbeetle yelled.

"If you hang back, or don't go at all, we'll only have one medabot in each group, and Brass is more of a reporter than a robattler! We have two, possibly three, enemies, and Metabee can't hold them all off!" Zuru returned. Tyrelbeetle's eyes brightened. If he didn't get what he wanted, he would attack.

"Let. Me. Stay," he demanded slowly. Zuru shook his head.

"I'm sorry. You can't stay. We need you," Zuru said, "Don't attack. I think you're just worried."

"Worried?!" Tyrelbeetle lunged at his medafighter, head bowed and aiming his horns for him. Zuru yelped and jumped out of the way just in time, running into the kitchen table as he backed up quickly.

"I said don't attack!" Zuru shouted. Tyrelbeetle turned and ran for his medafighter again, preparing for the same Grappling attack. Again, Zuru yelped as he jumped out of the way. Tyrelbeetle couldn't stop in time, and he ran right into the table's side, splintering the wood and leaving a deep dent. Zuru backed away, but backed right into a corner. Tyrelbeetle turned for him and prepared to charge again.

"Tyrelbeetle!" Zuru exclaimed. Tyrelbeetle charged. Zuru got an idea as his 'friend' approached for the first and final hit. He raised his medawatch to his mouth, closed his eyes tightly, and shouted, "Eject!" Tyrelbeetle charged faster. Two feet away…one foot…six inches…four inches…he stopped finally, as his medal ejected from his back hatch. The medal hit the ground with a clank, a dim red light glowing in the usually green core. Tyrelbeetle's body fell forward. Zuru kneeled, catching the bulky, blue body before it hit the ground, shivering out of sheer terror as he realized he just barely lived.

On the edge of the forest on the outskirts of town the next morning…

"Are you sure this is where they are?" Metabee asked Ikki, looking up at him, unsure.

"No. But this is where he seemed to be heading yesterday, and we've looked pretty much everywhere else," Ikki replied. Metabee groaned.

"It might help if we knew for sure," Tyrelbeetle stated angrily and sarcastically.

"Tyrelbeetle, just hang in there!" Zuru returned, getting annoyed by Tyrelbeetle's bad attitude that he's had all morning and night.

"Sheesh! I bet you two are worse than me and Ikki!" Metabee commented, his hands on his hips, and looking over at Tyrelbeetle and Zuru.

"Stay outa' Vegas, Metabee," Ikki responded.

"Hey!" Metabee exclaimed.

Ikki lifted his medawatch to his mouth. "Erika? Come in, Erika," he said.

I'm here. Are you in the forest yet? came Erika's response over the medawatch.

"No, not yet, but we're about to enter. Are you, Brass, and Professor Hushi on standby?" Ikki returned.

Yes. Make sure to speak clearly if you call us while you're in the forest, though. The signal won't be that strong.

"Ok. Good. Over and out."

Over and out. the two beeped out, and Ikki turned to Metabee.

"You ready?" Ikki asked.

"As always," Metabee replied.

"Then let's get going!" Zuru exclaimed.

On Hushi's space station, right outside the forest…

Erika gripped her pen and paper to her chest nervously. Brass looked up at her.

"Miss Erika?" she questioned.

_Good luck, Ikki and Metabee…_

In the forest…

Ikki, Metabee, Zuru, and Tyrelbeetle ran through the forest, weaving through the large trees.

"I know there's a clearing around here somewhere!" Ikki shouted over the crunch of dry leaves under everyone's feet, metal or otherwise.

"And why are we going there?" Metabee asked, trying not to run ahead of Ikki.

"Wouldn't that make sense? If it's a robattle they want, they'd probably go to a clearing like that! It's a perfect field!" Ikki replied, now panting. "Oh, by the way, Zuru?"

"Yes?" Zuru replied, catching up to Ikki.

"Did you remember food?" Ikki continued.

"Yes," Zuru answered.

"Good, 'cause I didn't," Ikki stated coolly. Zuru sighed. He had hoped Ikki would bring some food in case they needed more than Zuru could bring alone.

"Sheesh! You guys are _slow_!" Tyrelbeetle shouted back to them angrily, leading the group by far.

"No, you're just fast," Metabee corrected.

"Yes, I am. Catch up already!" Tyrelbeetle shouted. His anger took a nasty turn for the worst, shooting upwards. He whipped around after a moment when not even Metabee made an effort to catch up, his eyes glowing.

"Tyrelbeetle?" everyone gasped, sliding to a halt before they ran right into Tyrelbeetle. Suddenly, with three flashes and hydraulics, Roks, Rokusho, and KiloRoks appeared around Tyrelbeetle, their eyes glowing brightly, Roks and Rokusho to his right, and KiloRoks on his left.

"Roks?" Zuru questioned.

"Rokusho?" Metabee also questioned.

"Hey, that's that kilobot on the news!" Ikki exclaimed, referring to KiloRoks.

"I am KiloRoks!" KiloRoks shouted. His metallic voice rang through the forest.

"You look just like Roks," Zuru pointed out.

Hushi's space station…

Hushi stood at the console, leaning on it, bracing himself up with his hands. He stared at the screen, which displayed the Kuwagata. He zoomed up on Rokusho's face as a tear rolled down his metal cheek.

"Hang in there, Rokusho. We'll find the cure," Hushi promised.

Back in the forest…

The four Kuwagata sneered, and then ran off in a flash, hydraulics roaring.


	6. Battle Royale!

Chapter V: Battle Royale!

The four Kuwagata sneered, and then ran off in a flash, hydraulics roaring.

"It's on!" Ikki exclaimed. He raised his medawatch to his mouth. "Erika! Erika, come in!"

Yes, Ikki? Erika replied over the medawatch.

"We need you and Brass!" Ikki continued.

"Why?" Metabee asked, looking up at his medafighter in shock.

"Metabee, follow them, quick!" Ikki shouted to his Kabuto medabot. "They'll lead you where we need to be, probably the clearing! Once you get there, call us! We'll wait here for Erika and Brass. We need another medabot in our group if you're following them! Now go! They could be long gone by now!" Metabee nodded, turned, and ran after the Kuwagata, doing his best to stay on their trail.

"Erika? You still there?" Ikki asked, back into his medawatch now.

Yeah. We're on our way. Over and out! Erika returned.

"Over and out." They beeped out, and Ikki flipped on his 'medavision'.

Metabee…

"Hey! Where did you guys go?" Metabee shouted, looking around frantically as he ran. The trees were thinning, and slowly opened out into a clearing. Metabee stopped on the edge of this clearing, and spotted the four Kuwagata standing in a line in front of Kam and Blakbeetle towards the right of the clearing. "Ikki," Metabee began to himself quietly, hoping he was getting through to his medafighter over the medawatch, "Are you seeing this?"

Sure am. Just keep watching, and keep your distance. If they notice you, I'm sure they'd attack, Ikki replied. Metabee nodded, then stared at the group and waited.

"So, KiloRoks, I wanted to congratulate you," Kam began halfheartedly, "This virus is working out just like I planned. I didn't think you could do it, but you did. And for that, I congratulate you."

Blakbeetle stared blankly at the infected kilobot-copy of Roks, thinking, _He looks even more like Roks in person. Unless I am looking at Roks…_ She looked down the line, and cancelled that last thought when she saw the real Roks.

"I'm not here to make nice, or do your bidding, Kam," KiloRoks began strongly.

"Oh?" Kam gasped, staring at KiloRoks unbelievingly.

"I'm here for my revenge on you!" KiloRoks finished, shouting. His metallic voice rang through the forest--the animals scattered, trees shuddered, and leaves fell to the ground. The wind picked up, and the trees began whispering among themselves.

"You've taken a vengeance, I see," Kam replied coolly, unfazed by KiloRoks's boldness.

"Yeah," KiloRoks confirmed. He opened his Cutlass, eyes glowing brighter, and lifted his sword in the air, clenching his fist. He brought the sword down, bound to hit Kam on the side of his neck, but it hit with a clank. A moment later, KiloRoks realized what he hit: Blakbeetle. "Blakbeetle? What are you doing? Why did you take my attack?! Protect Kam?! Why?!" KiloRoks shouted, pulling his Cutlass away from the wincing Blakbeetle.

"I can't let you _kill_ him!" Blakbeetle returned with a groan.

"Why not? After what he did to me, and every other Kuwagata in the world?! He treats you like dirt, nonetheless!" KiloRoks shot back, clenching his fists and creasing the top line of his bright red eyes.

"It's just not right," Blakbeetle stated. She gripped her left shoulder, partly gripping her neck, where she had a small dent from KiloRoks's attack.

"Get out of my way, or I'll be forced to kill you, and _then_ Kam!" KiloRoks demanded. Blakbeetle shook her head, and straightened her arms out by her sides, prepared to take the onslaught.

"Try!"

"You asked for it!" With a scream, he lifted his Cutlass again, and brought it down on Blakbeetle deliberately, on her other shoulder. He stared sideways at the other three Kuwagata, waiting for them to do something. Immediately, Rokusho held up his Chanbara Sword and swung it for Blakbeetle. His attack connected with the black Kabuto's side, forcing her to grunt as she winced. She wanted to return the attack, but never got an order from a stunned and impressed Kam. Tyrelbeetle was the next to attack, bowing his head and aiming his grappling horns for Blakbeetle. He charged, fitting his horns around Blakbeetle's waist, and sending a surge through her body. She screamed weakly as the blue sparks reflected on her metallic skin. She closed her eyes, dearly hoping Kam would come to his senses and give her an order. Roks prepared for the final blow, lifting his own Cutlass in the air and clenching his fist. He swung it for Blakbeetle's side; closer, faster… Blakbeetle winced, bracing herself for the blow. This attack could cut right through her weakened armor. Suddenly, Roks's eyes faded to normal, and everyone but Blakbeetle stared. He stopped his Cutlass, resting the sharp edge on Blakbeetle's side dangerously. Blakbeetle cautiously opened her eyes one at a time, gasping when she saw Roks close his Cutlass and let his arm fall by his side.

"Roks?" Blakbeetle questioned. Roks stepped closer to her and laid his hands on her shoulders as she let her arms fall by her sides.

"Blakbeetle, I can't attack you. I'm sorry I even came close," Roks apologized. He turned as his eyes brightened and he lost control again. He ran off towards the forest, gesturing for Tyrelbeetle and Rokusho to follow. They smirked at Blakbeetle with a look as if they'd stick their tongues out at her if they had them, and followed their leader, Roks. KiloRoks gave her the same look, and lifted his sword, resting the point on the left of her chest.

"I'll get you someday," he swore, dragging the point across her chest, leaving a sparking and oil-bleeding gash in its trail. Blakbeetle winced, and then collapsed, clutching her hands over the gash, as KiloRoks ran off.

Metabee jumped out of the way as his Kuwagata 'friends' ran by, but stopped KiloRoks.

"I can't let _you_ pass!" Metabee shouted, hands clenched into fists.

"But you will," KiloRoks spat back, staring menacingly at Metabee.

"Don't get your hopes up," Metabee returned. He approached KiloRoks slowly and cautiously, KiloRoks backing up one step for every two steps Metabee took. They eventually stood less than a meter apart in the middle of the clearing.

"Are you hinting for a robattle?" KiloRoks asked after a few moments in silence.

"What took ya'? Ya' know ya' want it!" Metabee shouted back. He lunged for KiloRoks, easily covering the two-and-a-half-foot-distance-or-so in a split second, and threw a punch square in KiloRoks's face. KiloRoks stumbled backwards, barely showing any signs of pain or damage, and raised his left arm. He opened his yellow Hammer Fist and pulled it back, ready to attack.

"Oh, this could get interesting," Kam commented as he watched the robattle, seeming to forget about Blakbeetle, who laid on her side on the ground, gripping her chest, and struggling to keep her eyes open and stay online, wincing. She rooted for Metabee to herself. She definitely didn't want KiloRoks to win; not only was Kam rooting for him, but he was also an imposter, a _fake_, of Roks.

Back in the forest with Ikki and Zuru…

"When's she going to get here?" Zuru whined, hearing the clanking of a robattle not to far away.

"I don't know. I hope soon. The Kuwagata are out and about again, and if they find us before Brass and Erika get here, we're done for," Ikki replied. He had closed his medavision at the start of the robattle, and was now looking around frantically for any sign of the Kuwagata or Brass and Erika. He heard a girl's voice from behind him, saying, "Ikki, there you are!", and whipped around to find Erika and Brass. He sighed with relief, and then got tense again when Erika and Brass asked a few questions.

"Where have the Kuwagata gone?" Erika asked first.

"What about Metabee? Where's he?" Brass added.

"Well, we ran into the Kuwagata," Ikki began, "and when they ran off, I sent Metabee after them."

"Now what's going--" Brass's question was cut short. The three well-known Kuwagata appeared with a flash in a line in between Ikki and Zuru and Erika and Brass. All three turned to one; Tyrelbeetle turned to Brass, Roks turned to Zuru and Ikki, and Rokusho turned to Erika.

Ikki's medawatch beeped a few times. Ikki raised it and looked at the small screen as the woman's voice reported the damage, Left arm--eighty-five percent damage. Warning.

Back in the robattle in the clearing…

"Take this! Missile launch!" Metabee shouted as he fired off two missiles from the double cannon mounted on his head, posing as horns, Ballister Cannons. KiloRoks nimbly dodged each missile as he ran up to Metabee, taunting, "Ha! Is that all you got?!"

"You've only seen a tenth of my ability, if that!" Metabee shouted, jumping backwards.

"Then I'm supposed to be proud I took out your arm?" KiloRoks continued sarcastically, swiping at Metabee with his Cutlass.

"Yeah…Wait!" Metabee shouted when he realized what KiloRoks said, "No! Besides, you didn't take out my arm!"

"I got it, though," KiloRoks pointed out. Metabee nodded, jumped back, landed, and aimed the two barrels on the end of his damaged left forearm at KiloRoks. He fired two rounds in succession at KiloRoks, and, though every shot hit him right on the mark, it didn't seem to do any damage.

"What are you made out of?! Titanium?!" Metabee exclaimed. KiloRoks didn't respond. He ran up to Metabee, his Cutlass cocked, and swiped it forward before Metabee could react. He sliced a deep gash across the delicate connection between Metabee's torso and legs, about where his stomach would be if he had one. Metabee clutched his hands over the gash and collapsed to his knees, shaking as oil trickled out from under his hands, out from between his fingers, and over his fingers and hands.

"How did that feel?" KiloRoks asked tauntingly.

"N-not very good, not v-very good at all," Metabee stuttered, eyes wide with pain and breathing heavily.

"That's what I was going for." KiloRoks raised his Cutlass, clenched his fist, and brought the sword down, about to hit Metabee on his back. Just in time, Metabee fell over and rolled out of the way, as KiloRoks's Cutlass, unable to stop in time, stuck in the ground where Metabee just was. KiloRoks yanked his sword out of the ground and shook off the oily mud.

Metabee shakily got to his feet. "I'm not out yet."

Back in the forest…

Brass took all the hits from Tyrelbeetle and Rokusho. Tyrelbeetle was satisfied with attacking Brass, for she was his target in the first place, but Rokusho's target was Erika. Ikki and Zuru, on the other hand, ran for their dear lives from Roks.

Head and torso--eighty-nine percent damaged. Legs--eighty-one percent damaged. Warning, Ikki's medawatch informed with a few beeps. Ikki jumped behind a tree and raised his medawatch to his mouth.

"Metabee," he began in a hoarse whisper, "are you ok?"

Yeah, I'm fine. In a way, my stomach hurts, and he just about took my arm out, but I'm ok, Metabee replied over the medawatch.

"Your stomach hurts?" Ikki asked, surprised.

In a way, as I said. He left a gash on my waist. It's bleeding heavily, and sparking every now and then when I move too quickly. Ikki, I think he knows what he's doing. With his speed, I'll need _my_ agility, but if I can't move, you can call the match _over_!

Zuru ran by the tree, closely followed by Roks. Ikki had to go. "Metabee, listen. Zuru and I are being chased by Roks, Tyrelbeetle's attacking Brass, and so is Rokusho, but he's going for Erika. I can't really talk now. Just hang in there, buddy! I know you can beat him!" Without another word, he beeped off and ran.

Back in the robattle…

"You're right Ikki, I know. But what can I do? I can barely move it hurts so much!" Metabee said to himself. "Think, Metabee! How can I beat someone I can't keep up with, and is five times stronger than me?!"

"That's usually called an 'uneven match-up'," KiloRoks shouted to Metabee mockingly, charging at him. "But I thought you already knew we were 'at odds'!"

Metabee ran as fast as his hurting legs would carry him out of the way of the rampaging kilobot. KiloRoks slammed on the breaks, turned, and followed Metabee, who ran, clutching one hand over his gash.

"Why are we robattling, anyway? I thought you wanted revenge on Kam!" Metabee shouted back to KiloRoks.

"I do! And I'll destroy any-bot who gets in my way! You started it, anyway!" KiloRoks clarified angrily, gaining on Metabee.

"Yeah, yeah. Just the details. Uh, why do you want revenge on Kam?" Metabee asked as he turned so he didn't run into the forest; KiloRoks followed, adopting a sad look on his face.

"I-I'll tell you that later, if you beat me, of course!" KiloRoks regained his temper and angry expression as he forced a mocking giggle at the thought of Metabee beating him. Metabee noticed his former-sad-tone, and stared back at him sympathetically. They turned again.

The two ran in front of Kam and Blakbeetle. A puddle of oil had formed around Blakbeetle, who seemed to be getting weaker.

"Looks like Metabee chose the perfect question. I'd like to know the answer," Kam admitted.

"O-of course you d-do. I-it's about you!" Blakbeetle stated angrily. Kam nodded, but didn't acknowledge Blakbeetle anymore than that.

"Listen, buddy! I can kick your can! If you would just stop running!" Metabee shouted back to KiloRoks, panting as he slowed. He clutched his hand tighter over the oil-bleeding gash, trying to muffle the bleeding. Coming back around to start the second lap, his right toe got stuck in the hole KiloRoks left after getting his Cutlass stuck in the ground. He fell to the ground, screaming in pain as his metal fingers inadvertently dug into the gash. He laid still, hurting to much to try to move, shuddering and whimpering.

KiloRoks caught up to the fallen medabot quickly, his sane side aching with sympathy pains. His insane, currently in control side laughed at Metabee's misfortune.

"W-why are you laughing?" Metabee asked breathlessly.

"I've won," KiloRoks answered calmly.

"You haven't--" Metabee took a deep breath as he forced himself onto his knees, head hung, hiding a wince of pain as he pulled his fingers out of his gash, "--won--" he lifted his head, green eyes glowing brightly in perseverance, "--YET!" He jumped to his feet, seeming to choke on a rush of oil flooding up his metal throat.

KiloRoks backed up slowly to the middle of the clearing, a worried expression plastered on his face, as his eyes faded to normal. His optic targets rolled back into his head, and he fell backwards, out like a light. Metabee made his way to KiloRoks, clutching the gash, and staring at KiloRoks worriedly.

Ikki's medawatch, on Ikki's arm, on Ikki, deep in the forest…

Head part--ninety-eight percent damaged. Legs--ninety-four percent damaged. Shutdown imminent.


	7. Finale!

Chapter VI: Finale!

As Metabee approached, KiloRoks slowly awoke, his head and medal throbbing with the pain of both the robattle and the K.V. Clutching his hand over his gash on his waist with his left hand, Metabee pointed his single barrel on the end of his right arm, Laser Fuser, at the helpless KiloRoks.

"Explain everything you know about this virus, or I'll fire," Metabee threatened angrily.

Kam, ignoring Metabee's threat after seeing that KiloRoks's sane side regained control, kneeled down by Blakbeetle as she finally shutoff and ejected her Neo Ex Medal. He picked up the medal.

Meanwhile, Metabee had kneeled down by KiloRoks, keeping his Laser Fuser arm cocked, listening to the explanation.

"First of all, I-I'm sorry for all my attacks. I can't help it. I'll tell you e-everything: I want revenge on Kam because of this virus. It's slowly killing me, and making me attack when I don't want to or can't. He built it into me deliberately, and I want revenge for that," KiloRoks stopped to take a breath, then continued, "He planned the virus, K.V., to spread through every Kuwagata medabot or kilobot, and I'm the one who started it. He let me loose for 'testing' as he calls it, as you and your medafighter probably know from the news, and the virus began. His motivation was to destroy every medabot, and every kilobot that could be destroyed. He believes that a kilobot that can be destroyed does not deserve to be called a 'kilobot'." His eyes suddenly brightened, but he forced them shut, wincing, and his eyes faded to normal.

"KiloRoks! What's the cure?!" Metabee demanded nervously, seeing the signs that he was losing control again.

"The cure is--" his eyes did the same thing, and he began shaking, hydraulics crackling, "--the cure is to des--" he took a deep breath, trying to keep himself in control. He clenched his hands into fists. "--to destroy one infected!" he finally got out.

"What?! Are you saying to destroy you? But--the virus isn't even your fault! _You're_ innocent! I can't destroy you!" Metabee returned, grabbing KiloRoks's clenched fist in his free hand.

"If I lose control again, I'll die immediately! If I die, that won't end the virus, and you'll have to destroy Roks!" KiloRoks shouted back. "Destroy me, Metabee! No-nobody will care, trust me." He closed his eyes as a tear ran down his metal cheek. A moment later, he shouted again, "DESTROY ME, METABEE!"

Tears streaked down Metabee's face. He knew he had to destroy him to save everyone, but he was innocent. What should he do? Destroy him, and feel guilty? Or let him die, and still feel guilty, but have to kill one of his best friends? After a few moments of thought, he decided the decision was unanimous, and hung his head.

"Sorry!" he whaled quietly as he leaned over KiloRoks, chin pulled to his chest. He crossed his arms in front of his face in an attempt to block the explosion-to-come, and lowered his cannons down so they were barely two inches above KiloRoks's chest.

"No. Thank you," KiloRoks whispered soothingly. Metabee fired his missiles from his Ballister Cannons, and a huge explosion followed, almost immediately. Dust, dirt, and smoke filled the air around Metabee.

The forest…

Roks clenched his right hand into a fist, his right arm raised, and his Cutlass opened. His arm shook vigorously, rattling its insides. He had Zuru backed into a tree and sitting, with nowhere to run, if he could even get up fast enough to do so.

"Roks, no!" Zuru shouted to his medabot. Roks swung his arm and Cutlass forward, speeding for a clean cut at Zuru's neck. He didn't show any signs of stopping, and by now, if he did stop, it would be too late. That's when a miracle seemed to take place. Zuru screamed out in pain as Roks's sword cut into his neck, but it suddenly stopped. Roks's eyes faded to normal. He stared blankly at his medafighter as his memories returned. He felt control sweeping over him like a sudden, refreshing gust of wind. Something clicked, and he closed his Cutlass, pulling his arm away and dropping to his knees. He reached up and felt the cut on the side of Zuru's neck, which looked like it would be fine with a few stitches, if that. Zuru winced. Roks pulled his hand away and stared at the blood on his fingers, tears welling up in his eyes. He came too close to killing him this time. The tears streaked down his face. He looked sadly up at his medafighter, who smiled weakly at him.

"Are you cured?" Zuru asked painfully, the cut stinging. Roks whaled and threw his arms around Zuru's neck, inadvertently wiping the blood on his fingers off onto Zuru's brown backpack and green-shirted back. Zuru winced again as Roks's arm touched his cut, blood covering it immediately, and then slowly returned the hug, eventually squeezing his crying medabot close and tight, also crying.

Tyrelbeetle's eyes faded to normal, and he slowly released Brass from the grapple in his Grappling Horns, blinking. Rokusho's eyes faded to normal, also, and he pulled his Chanbara Sword away from Brass's neck. Brass fell forward, wincing and whimpering, and landed on her knees. As she fell over sideways, Erika ran up to her and caught her before she hit the ground.

"So? Are you cured?" Erika prompted, cradling her sailor-type medabot in her arms.

"I sure hope so," Rokusho replied. He dropped to his knees, his silk, beige cape inflating. He laid a hand on Brass's shoulder, apologizing, "I'm so sorry."

Tyrelbeetle sighed, staring as Rokusho stroked Brass's metal arm soothingly, tears streaking down his face from saddened red eyes. As tears welled up in Tyrelbeetle's eyes, he ran over to his medafighter and brother--err--partner, and kneeled down beside them. They broke from their hug, stared at Tyrelbeetle for a moment, before pulling him into a group hug.

Back on Hushi's space station…

Hushi, standing straight with a huge smile from ear to ear, zoomed up on Rokusho's face, watching everything from the screen.

"I promised you, Rokusho, and there you have it!" Hushi silently cheered, watching apologetic and joyful tears roll down his Kuwagata medabot's face.

"Yay!" cheered a girl from behind Hushi with a giggle. Hushi looked sideways behind him, surprised, and saw Miss Nae and her helper medabot, Honey, watching the screen from behind. Miss Nae was covered in oil and dirt, and she held a wrench that she forgot to put down before she left the workshop in one hand. She looked tired and haggard, though she wore her constant smile, and cheered the heroes on. Her beige work uniform was unzipped down to her waist, showing her blue shirt, and her collar stood straight.

"Miss Nae? How long have you been there?" Hushi asked.

"Well, more than long enough to hear your promise to Rokusho, and here I am now, so…I guess about an hour to an hour and a half," Miss Nae replied calmly. "It's nice to see you care so much for Rokusho. He needs it."

"Yes, I very well know that. He wandered for over thirteen years after that fire and…well, I'm sure he's told you the story," Hushi agreed.

"No, he hasn't, actually. Please, go on," Miss Nae pleaded.

"Ok." Hushi then explained everything about Rokusho and himself, Honey listening in.

Back in the forest…

Ikki stared as the virus's control broke and the medafighters and medabots were united. He stared down at the damage ratios on his medawatch; all parts between ninety and ninety-eight percent damaged. He frowned, worried about Metabee, and then turned and headed for the clearing.

He weaved through the trees and patches of taller grass until he reached the edge of the clearing, and gasped at what he saw; a large patch of uprooted grass, beat-up pieces of a medabot or kilobot, and smoke, dust, and dirt rising into the air. In the middle of all this was Metabee, sitting on his knees with his head hung sadly. Ikki looked around for Kam and Blakbeetle, and spotted them on the right side of the battle-scarred clearing.

Kam inserted Blakbeetle's Neo Ex Medal into her body, kneeling by the oily, black, Kabuto-type kilobot corpse. Blakbeetle's one exposed yellow eye lit up, and Blakbeetle gasped for air. Kam slipped one arm around her knees, and the other around her shoulders, lifting her up. She rattled as she rose off the ground in her uncaring medafighter's arms. Kam turned, about to leave, when a white flash swept by in front of him, and Blakbeetle was gone when the flash disappeared. Kam gasped as he looked around, but never saw anything until he turned around and looked to the left side of the clearing. He saw Ikki, staring angrily at him, his friends gathering behind him. The white flash appeared next to Zuru, who now had a bloody, beige bandanna tied around his neck, and it was Roks, with Blakbeetle in his arms. Tyrelbeetle stood next to Zuru on his other side, holding his medafighter's hand. Erika walked up on the other side of Ikki, Brass in her arms, out like a light, and Rokusho stood next to her. They all glared at Kam, who smirked, turned, and walked calmly off. Once he was out of sight, everyone stuck their tongues out after him, and the conscious medabots copied this as much as they could without a tongue. After a moment, Ikki looked back to Metabee, who was still sitting on his knees, head hung, but now he was clutching his gash on his waist with both hands, wincing slightly. Ikki smiled weakly and ran up to him, kneeling down next to him.

"Metabee? What happened?" Ikki asked. He saw a tear roll down Metabee's metal cheek, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"They're cured!" Metabee said halfheartedly, forcing enthusiasm.

"Yeah, we kinda' figured that," Ikki agreed. He forced a giggle, trying to cheer Metabee up, whose ounce of forced enthusiasm had faded. Ikki lost his weak smile, staring into his medabot's closed, saddened green eyes.

"I'll tell ya' about it later, 'k, Ik'?" Metabee requested, his voice quivering with held back tears.

"Metabee…ok." Tears rolled down Ikki's face as he wrapped his arms around Metabee's shoulders. "You saved the day!" Ikki congratulated with dampened enthusiasm, matching Metabee's perfectly.

"Ikki, I--" Metabee stopped as Ikki pulled out of the hug and held his shoulders at arms length, smiling and crying all at once.

"No, you saved the world," Ikki corrected himself, "again. And more importantly, all our friends, too. Thank you. You did the right thing." Metabee hung his head, nodding and closing his eyes as more tears escaped them. Ikki stood up, turned, and looked back down at Metabee before he left. "If you don't want to tell the story twice, just tell me, and I'll tell the others." Metabee didn't respond, but Ikki knew he heard him. "Just make sure you come home soon, ok? It always rains after moments like this."

"That's in movies, Ikki," Metabee uttered, but sighed, admitting Ikki was right, as he felt a raindrop on his head. "I'll be home in a little while. Before dinner, I promise."

"Good. I don't want you to rust." Ikki ran off to his group of friends, greeted them, and they all bustled into the forest. Metabee giggled slightly at what Ikki said, his spirits slightly raised from Ikki's kindhearted attempts to do so. But his spirits fell again as he thought some more about what he did.

_"…Thank you. You did the right thing."_ His words repeated several times in Metabee's robotic mind. _Then why do I feel so guilty?_

After a few moments in silence and deep thought, Metabee slowly got to his feet as the rain picked up. He looked up to the smoke-filled, cloud-covered, rainy skies, letting the water wash off some outer dirt, mud, grass stains, et cetera, especially the oil around his waist. He held his oil-covered hands out, palm-up, and let the rain wash away the oil. It felt good, cool and refreshing. For a split second, it seemed to wash away all of his worries and doubt, leaving him carefree, but, upon remembering standing there too long could cause him to rust, his carefree approach disappeared, and his worry and doubt returned. Maybe, just maybe, there wasn't anything to be worried or doubtful about…just maybe. As he turned to leave, he caught something sparkling out of the corner of his eye. Pure curiosity led him over to the sparkle, clutching his gash with his left hand. He squatted down next to a small pile of scrap metal, and spotted the source of the sparkling. He reached down into the pile and picked up a green, pill-shaped piece of glowing crystal of some sort, with a red mist inside it. Holding it in his palm delicately, he realized what it was: The core to a medabot medal.

"A core? Ex medals, not even _Neo_ Ex medals, have a core. Only medabot medals. So where did this come from?" Metabee asked himself. The only reason possible hit him like a ton of bricks, and his eyes widened. "He was a medabot in a kilobit's body! The virus…K.V. can do so much! Even turn a medabot medal into a kilobot medal." He figured the red mist was the virus. There was no other explanation for it. Metabee smirked cunningly. "Looks like Kam figured it out! Instead of using an _Ex_ medal and modifying it to be a medabot medal so it has both properties, do it the other way around; sheesh, since personalities are hard to build why _not_ just add ex medal properties to a medabot medal? And Kam claims to be a genius!" Suddenly, Metabee frowned again, feeling worse than before. Not physically, though the rain _was_ sinking in and starting to bother him with cold wetness, but his guilt doubled. "Oh, great. Now I feel worse for destroying 'one of my own'. A medabot…"

Metabee stood, clutching the medabot medal core in his right hand, and clutching his other hand over his gash, turned, tears rolling down his face, and ran into the forest, weaving first through the wreckage of not-so-_Kilo_Roks, and then through the trees of the now dark forest.

__

"…Thank you. You did the right thing." I hope so, Ikki…I sure hope so.


	8. Epilogue: When in Worry, When in doubt,...

Epilogue: When in Worry, When in Doubt, You Have Friends to Help You Out

Monday afternoon, the day after the virus was cured by none other than Metabee, Ikki, Zuru, Erika, and their medabots, except for Metabee, had prepared a 'Thank You for Saving the World, Metabee. A Party's the Least We Could Do' party for after school on the playground. Metabee hadn't turned up at the party yet, but no one thought much of it.

Blakbeetle stayed the previous night with Roks, Tyrelbeetle, and Zuru, and she was going to stay with them for as long as she could. Zuru figured that Blakbeetle was a now-homeless kilobot, and since his medabot, Roks, saved her from Kam, it's only right for her to stay with them.

Miss Nae had repaired every medabot involved in the virus, as in Metabee, Brass, and the main three Kuwagata, for free, and had a free repair booth opened at the party in her orange truck for any Kuwagata medabots at school who caught the virus, or any-bot who was damaged due to the virus in themselves or a friend.

Everyone else just tried to return to their normal routines.

Rokusho was at the party, smiling broadly during the entire event so far, and holding his owner's hand tightly, not letting it go once.

"Professor?" Rokusho began, looking up at Hushi, "Has Metabee showed yet?"

"Actually, no. Why?" Hushi returned.

"Ever since Ikki told me about what happened after Metabee told _him_, I've been worried about him. I think I have an idea of where he is," Rokusho answered.

Several people so far had shown up to ask Zuru what happened, after noticing the tightly wrapped bandages around his neck. This made Roks feel guilty about hitting him and leaving a cut bad enough for stitches.

"Roks, you couldn't help it!" Tyrelbeetle began as Zuru told the story to a group of much younger kids surrounding him, Roks and Tyrelbeetle standing just outside the crowd. "I mean, I attacked Brass, and I feel guilty about it, but I didn't mean to do it."

"I know. On some level, I'm glad I did that. It's definitely made him popular. But it still needed stitches. That was terrible," Roks replied sadly.

"Yeah, we had to drag you to the hospital with us you felt so guilty…" Tyrelbeetle began. This triggered the memory of the day before, right after they left the forest and went their separate ways with Ikki and Erika, returned home, and Zuru's father, Maizu Zora, brought them to the hospital for Zuru's cut…

----------------------------------------------------------*Flashback*-----------------------------------------------------------

"Come on, Roks. He's _your_ medafighter," Blakbeetle implored, grabbing Roks's hand.

"And he got that _cut_ because of me! I can't go!" Roks replied, tugging his hand out of Blakbeetle's and jumping up on the bed behind him.

"Why? Because you feel guilty about something you didn't even mean to do?" Blakbeetle accused.

"C'mon, Roks! She's right! Besides, Mr. Zora and Zuru are waiting for us!" Tyrelbeetle chimed in, holding a hand out to Roks, keeping the other folded across his chest.

"It's all my fault…" Roks admitted sadly, falling back onto the bed and sighing. "If it wasn't for me attacking him, he wouldn't _need_ stitches!"

"I already said it was something you didn't even mean to do," Blakbeetle stated, stepping closer to the bed and laying a hand on Roks's knee. She reached up with both hands and grabbed Roks's hand, pulling him up. Roks didn't try to resist. Once Blakbeetle had him sitting up, he hung his head, eyes closed, and sighed again.

"Please, come with us, Roks," Zuru pleaded as he stepped into the room, gripping the cut on his neck. "I forgive you, though there's really nothing to forgive. I'd appreciate it if you came."

"Zuru?" Roks questioned, looking up at his injured medafighter. "I thought you were waiting with your father downstairs."

"I was, but I wanted to ask you in person, since it doesn't seem like Tyrelbeetle or Blakbeetle were having any luck convincing you," Zuru replied. He released his cut and held his hands out invitingly. "Coming?"

Roks nodded, and jumped down, running over to his medafighter and throwing his arms around his waist, crying. Zuru returned the hug sympathetically, rubbing Roks's metal back.

"Good," Tyrelbeetle and Blakbeetle stated with smiles, and walked up to Zuru and Roks as they pulled out of the hug, turned, and headed out the door.

Later that afternoon, Zuru stepped into the waiting room after having stitches, bandages wrapped around his neck. Maizu followed. When they entered, they saw Roks, Tyrelbeetle, and Blakbeetle sitting in three of the gray, fuzzy chairs, waiting impatiently, pensive with worry. Roks sat with his head hung and legs crossed, his hands folded in his lap and twiddling his thumbs. Tyrelbeetle sat in the chair next to him, his arms folded over his chest, and eyes closed thoughtfully. Blakbeetle sat on Roks's other side, staring into his eyes with concern.

"Roks?" Zuru uttered to get the medabots' and kilobot's attention. All three looked up, eyes wide expectantly.

"Zuru? Are you ok?" Roks asked after a moment, uncrossing his legs, sitting up straight in his seat, and clutching the edge of the seat.

"I'm fine, don't worry," Zuru answered. He walked up to his medabot and squatted down in front of him to get to his level. "I'm more worried about you."

"Why?" Roks returned. By now, Blakbeetle and Tyrelbeetle were watching curiously from their seats.

"Because you're feeling so guilty about all this. You did _nothing_ wrong. The only thing you could feel guilty about is if you didn't come with us here," Zuru replied, "And you came."

Roks reached forward and cupped his hand over Zuru's bandaged cut. "I did _nothing_ wrong?"

"No, unless you deliberately cut me like this. But I don't think you did. How many times must I tell you? It wasn't your fault! If it makes you feel any better, I'll say I forgive you, though I shouldn't have too."

"Well, it would make me feel a little a better if you said it again. Would you?"

"I forgive you, Roks." Zuru wrapped his arms around Roks again, who returned the hug, leaning forward in his seat, about to fall out. "Now forgive yourself."

Blakbeetle and Tyrelbeetle smiled hopefully, hoping Roks finally forgave himself, like Zuru told him too. Roks almost never disobeyed Zuru's orders, only when the order's uncalled for and over the top, and this wasn't one of those orders. This wasn't even an order, just a good suggestion.

Roks seemed unconscious in his master's arms, deep in thought and memories of what he did while he had the virus, trying to find a way to forgive himself. "Maybe…eventually, it'll be that simple, I hope."

---------------------------------------------------------*End Flashback*------------------------------------------------------

_Maybe…eventually, it'll be that simple… _Roks repeated in his mind as the memory ended, and he and Tyrelbeetle realized where they were again as Blakbeetle exclaimed, "Ah! Looks like Zuru's free! I think that crowd stayed for a record time."

Roks looked up at his medafighter as he walked up to him. "How many crowds has that been?" Zuru asked.

"Too many," Roks returned.

"That's the fifth, to be exact," Tyrelbeetle chimed in.

"You're right. That _is_ too many. Roks?" Zuru began.

"Yes, master?" Roks replied. Blakbeetle watched, along with Tyrelbeetle.

"If you haven't forgiven yourself yet, maybe you should try talking to Metabee," Zuru finished.

"I would, but I haven't seen him here yet."

"But we're throwing this party for him. Didn't Ikki tell him to be here?"

"I'm sure."

"Then where is he?"

"I don't know. But I'm sure Tyrelbeetle, Blakbeetle, and I will be recruited to look for him when the time comes."

"Do you three know where he is, then?"

"We have an idea," Blakbeetle chimed in with a nod.

Meanwhile…

"Ikki, it's almost time for the big announcement! If you don't want to make yourself out to be a fool, go find him!" Erika shouted at Ikki.

"Ok, ok! If he doesn't show up, I'll go find him!" Ikki returned.

"Miss Erika, Mr. Ikki, I think he wants to be alone. If he doesn't show, let _us_ go find him," Brass requested.

"What do you mean by 'us'?" Erika asked.

"Blakbeetle, Tyrelbeetle, Roks, Rokusho, and I," Brass clarified. She stared up at her medafighter hopefully.

"Ok. Do you know where he is, by chance?" Erika continued.

"I think so."

"Good. Go get them and find Metabee," Ikki stated, "I have to make the announcement soon, and it's nothing without him."

"Ok. We'll be back in time, trust me!" Brass promised, then ran off to find everyone who can help her, with respect to medabots and kilobots.

A few minutes later, Brass lead the group of Blakbeetle, Tyrelbeetle, Roks, and Rokusho to where they all thought Metabee would be.

This would be the first time since he arrived at the party that Rokusho walked somewhere without holding Hushi's hand. The first time Roks, Tyrelbeetle, and Blakbeetle have been more than a small crowd's length away from Zuru. And the first time Brass has left Erika's side for more than a moment to retrieve some punch for her and Ikki.

"Where exactly are we headed?" Tyrelbeetle broke the silence.

"The school ground garden. You know what's there that Metabee would want to be with," Brass answered. They all continued in silence.

Eventually, the group weaved their way through the maze-like paths that made the beautiful, bright and sunny garden, and found Metabee, sitting on his knees, head bowed. He was sitting in front of KiloRoks's grave, where the few pieces of KiloRoks that they recovered and the medabot medal core were buried. Metabee heard the hydraulics of his group of friends coming, and looked up at KiloRoks's nameplate, which seemed to be short of info, other than his name, "KiloRoks" engraved on the top middle.

"You didn't tell anyone, did you?" Metabee asked as his friends sat down around him.

"If you mean tell anyone about the medabot medal core, no. You told us not too," Roks replied.

"Good," Metabee stated. Brass, sitting on his right, laid a hand on his back comfortingly. Rokusho sat on his knees behind Metabee, laying his hands on his shoulders. Roks sat next to Brass, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around his shins lightly. Blakbeetle kneeled across from Roks, and Tyrelbeetle stood across from Brass.

"You know," Rokusho began, "you need to get back to that party. They're about to make the announcement, and you need to be there," he finished, trying to word it so he didn't give anything away about the party.

"What's so important about this party, anyway? Everyone seems so insistent about _me_ being there," Metabee returned.

"You'll see if you come," Blakbeetle promised. "I think it'll make you feel better."

"Yeah, it probably will now that I think about it," Tyrelbeetle chimed in, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"You mean, you're just realizing that? When Ikki and Zuru told us about this party, they said themselves that¾ " Roks stopped himself from giving something away, found a way to cover himself, and continued, "¾ that it probably would."

"Good save," Brass whispered to him. She turned back to Metabee, "You can stay here for a little while longer, but you need to get to the party. Everyone's waiting for you! I mean, you _did _save the world, so they're all curious about it."

Ikki's words flashed through Metabee's mind again, at "…you did save the world…". _"…you saved the world, and all of our friends. Thank you. You did the right thing."_

A few moments later, Blakbeetle, Tyrelbeetle, and Brass left for the party, but Roks and Rokusho stayed longer.

"Why did you stay behind?" Metabee asked once everyone else was out of earshot.

"I don't know for sure," said Rokusho. "I think we just want to stay with you for a little longer, if that's ok."

"That's fine. I'll go with you two when you go to the party," Metabee stated, eyes closed. Rokusho squeezed Metabee's shoulders.

"Metabee?" Roks began. He looked to Rokusho, who nodded. "I want to tell you something, and I'm sure everyone will agree…"

"Go on," Metabee prompted, opening his eyes and staring at Roks, eyes wide with curiosity.

"We, your friends, will always be here when you need us, ok? You can tell us anything," Roks finished. Metabee gaped at him, surprised. He pulled out of his daze and glanced at Rokusho, who nodded in agreement.

"Thank you so much," Metabee said wholeheartedly. Roks and Rokusho nodded a 'you're welcome', blushing.

"Let's go to the party. I think you'll like what you'll see," Rokusho pressured, standing. Roks stood as well, and the Kuwagata both held their hands out to Metabee to help him up. Metabee took their hands and stood. They all turned and left the garden, holding hands, leaving KiloRoks's grave behind. Metabee still felt guilty, but his guilt was gradually dwindling. It would soon take a plummet when he arrived at the party and heard the announcement…

The three friends met up with the rest of their friends at the party, and all went their separate ways: Roks, Blakbeetle, and Tyrelbeetle to Zuru, Brass to Erika, Rokusho to Hushi, and Metabee to Ikki.

"Metabee, 'bout time! I have to make the announcement now, and you're supposed to be on stage with me when I make it!" Ikki scolded in a hoarse whisper as Metabee strutted through the red curtains for the 'door' to backstage.

"Sorry, Ikster. Just talking with the 'bots," Metabee apologized, then realized something, "Wait, you're making the announcement?! And I have to be on stage with you, in front of that crowd, after saving the world?! Everyone's gonna' be starin'! That'll be just slightly disturbing!"

"Metabee, relax! Just wait 'til ya' here the announcement!" Ikki guaranteed. Metabee sighed and nodded, as an announcer voice beckoned them on stage. "C'mon!" Ikki grabbed Metabee's arm and trudged out on stage, picked up the microphone off the ledge on the back of the stage as he passed it, and turned to the crowd with a smile and rubbing the back of his head nervously. He began the announcement shakily. "H-hello, everyone!" The microphone got feedback, and everyone in the crowd winced, most covering their ears. "Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, thank you all for coming! You all know what, or _whom_, this party is for, right? Well, I think it's time we gave our 'guest of honor' a big shout out!"

"Ikki, whatcha gettin' at?" Metabee whispered to Ikki.

"Alright, ready? Set…" everyone took a deep breath as Ikki shouted, "…shout!" Everyone, including Ikki, shouted, "Thank you, Metabee!" and a rolled-up banner on the back of the stage unrolled. The banner was Metabee's golden color, with 'Thank you, Metabee! A party's the least we could do!' printed in bold, green lettering; green as in Metabee's eye color. Metabee stared at it in shock, then looked back at the crowd, and then back at the banner.

"Wha-what?" Metabee gasped. Ikki walked over to him and kneeled in front of him, holding the microphone in one hand and taking Metabee's hand in the other, saying, "I think the shout out and banner says it all, but I wanted to say it again, to your face. Thanks, Metabee!" Ikki lowered his microphone to talk to Metabee without the crowd hearing every word he said, and continued, "I know I already told you, but I know you're still feeling guilty about it, so I'll say it again: You did the right thing. There wasn't anything else you could do!"

"Ikki, I--" Metabee began, staring at Ikki in shock.

"Feeling any better?" Ikki continued.

"I--y-yes," Metabee stuttered in return. "You're a good guy to have around! Thanks, Ik."

"Uh, you're welcome, but I just thanked you," Ikki pointed out.

"That's what I'm thankin' ya' for!" Metabee threw his arms around his medafighter's neck, who dropped the microphone and returned the hug immediately.

The crowd awed at them, watching them hug.

In the crowd, Blakbeetle turned to Roks and wrapped her arms around him, wondering what all the fuss was about with hugs. Roks, surprised, slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"What are you doing?" Roks asked eventually.

"At first I wanted to know the deal with hugs, but--" she left off, realizing her feelings; feelings that kilobots aren't supposed to have. She pulled out of the hug suddenly, blushing rosy red, and held Roks's shoulders at arms length. Roks let his arms drop by his sides, also blushing.

"What's wrong?" Roks asked, in an oddly quiet, slightly higher-pitched voice than usual. Blakbeetle stared into Roks's eyes, wondering herself what was wrong.

As Ikki and Metabee filed off the stage, Brass and Erika ran up to them. Brass ran up to Metabee and jumped at him, throwing her arms tightly around the Kabuto. Erika did the same to Ikki.

"I loved the announcement! I wrote it all down, so I can record it in the next report! Think you guys could," Erika began, pulling out of the hug after a moment, "tell me what you said when you put the microphone down?"

Ikki was too stunned to answer; he just blushed and wobbled on spaghetti legs as Erika pulled back.

"Metabee, thank you so much! Way to go!" Brass thanked and congratulated. She pulled back and held Metabee's silver upper arms. Metabee just stuttered, staring at Brass with wide eyes. Brass realized what she did, and looked down at the ground, staring at the space between it and her optics, blushing. "Sorry. I _guess_ I let the excitement get to me. I think," Brass apologized.

Metabee gripped her chin, raising her head. "That's ok." He blushed slightly, hearing her utter, "I think" quietly.

Throughout the rest of the party, which lasted another hour or two, Metabee received several 'thank you's from anyone and everyone. Blakbeetle and Roks eventually got back to acting rather normal, though a little jumpy, and Zuru and Tyrelbeetle giggled at them every now and then when they jumped every time someone came up to them, tapped them on the shoulder, and asked about the K.V. or something related to it. Miss Nae got good business at her in-van repair shop; she fixed Kuwagata medabots and kilobots, and several varieties of other medabots and kilobots who were obviously attacked by one or more infected Kuwagata. Rokusho went back to clutching Hushi's hand, and never let it go again until the party ended, feeling a bit timid, and sorry for attacking (of course).

After the party, Zuru, Ikki, Erika, Tyrelbeetle, Rokusho, Hushi, Blakbeetle, Roks, Metabee, and Brass rode home with Miss Nae. Metabee, being the guest of honor, got the privilege to sit in the front seat with Miss Nae, while everyone else rode in the back. Everyone in the back chatted, while Metabee remained silent, along with Miss Nae.

Suddenly, Miss Nae broke the silence, asking only Metabee.

"Metabee, what happened to Kam?" she asked.

"I don' know. He ran off after Roks grabbed Blakbeetle. Why?" Metabee returned, staring sadly out the window at the passing buildings, which had a beautiful reflection of the sunset on the glass windows. "After how badly I beat KiloRoks," at this, the back seat quieted suddenly, listening intently, as Metabee finished, "I don't think he'll be bothering us for a while!"

"But now that we've got his strongest kilobot, Blakbeetle," Miss Nae began. Metabee turned to her as she finished, shutting everyone in the van up for the rest of the trip…


End file.
